It has been a full year this week since Jayleb-Che Dean disappeared at Waiōtapu Hot Springs on September 30, 2025. For his whānau, the circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain an agonising mystery.
His sister, Alia Cowley, expresses the deep confusion felt by the family over how someone could seemingly vanish without a trace. “I think it’s just strange that no one can just disappear,” Alia says. “From a year ago when it happened, it’s just this big mystery, but it just makes no sense”.
According to Alia, the family has received little support in terms of active investigation leads. “We haven’t had any new leads,” she says. “The leads that we did have, the police have decided that they aren’t worth following, so we have no suspects or nothing. It’s pretty much they believe that he just walked into the dark and disappeared”.
Amid the ongoing uncertainty, the family’s primary focus is simply finding closure and bringing Jayleb home. “It sucks because we just want to bring him home,” Alia says. “We don’t even want justice now. We just want him home so that we can have closure”.
As birthdays, Christmases, and family gatherings pass, his absence is profoundly felt by those who loved him. “We can definitely feel his presence not around,” Alia says. “He was the loud, happy, funny person at every occasion. You can just feel that he’s not there”.
The family continues to urge anyone with information regarding Jayleb-Che Dean’s disappearance to contact the Police, referencing file number 251003/5935.