A body found in Auckland's Glen Eden on Monday night is believed to be of the man whose daughter disappeared nearly 20 years ago.
"Yesterday evening at around 7pm, the Police Search and Rescue team located a body in an area of bush in Glen Eden, Auckland," a police spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.
Police believe the body is of 73-year-old Michael Piki Koutuku Asher, who was the father of Iraena Asher. She went missing at Piha Beach in 2004.
Asher had been reported missing on December 30 and was last seen at his residence on Glengarry Road in Glen Eden, on December 25, the police spokesperson said.
"Michael was a much-loved family member and our thoughts are with his whānau."
The 73-year-old's death will be referred to the coroner.
In 2012, a coroner's inquest found Iraena died of an accidental drowning. The coroner at the time said it was unlikely she had survived.
"She has not been seen or heard from in almost eight years and she didn't have the resources to remain in hiding," coroner Peter Ryan said in 2012.
The police spokesperson said Michael's family have asked for people to respect their privacy during this difficult time.
