MUS-2026-0070
Archive card
MUS-2026-0070
Homicide
- Incident
- 1998
- Indexed
- Oct 4, 2026, by MuseUnsolved
- Agency
- New Zealand Police
- Location
- Ashburton NZ
Public record. Index entry.
Index entry. Case details compiled from public reporting; our researchers have not verified this file yet.
Summary
What happened, as the record shows.
Kirsty Bentley, 15, vanished while walking her dog along the Ashburton River on New Year's Eve 1998. Her body was found 40 km away in dense scrub weeks later, killed by blunt force trauma. A 2016 coronial inquest ruled her death a homicide. A $100,000 reward was offered in 2022 and no one has ever been charged.
Timeline
What the record establishes.
- 1998
Kirsty Bentley, 15, vanishes while walking her dog along the Ashburton River on New Year's Eve.
- 1999
Her body is found 40 km away in dense scrub weeks later, killed by blunt force trauma.
- 2016
A coronial inquest rules her death a homicide. No one has ever been charged.
Key people
The people in the file.
15, of Ashburton, New Zealand. Vanished walking her dog along the Ashburton River on New Year's Eve 1998; her body was found 40 km away weeks later.
Contact details change over time; confirm the current assignee before publishing.
Investigating agency
Where tips go.
This case is with the New Zealand Police. If you know something, say something to them. For public-record leads for our researchers, use the tip line on any open file.
Coverage
Coverage and further reading.
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