Human remains discovered in a Porirua park three weeks ago may belong to Patricia Burt, who vanished in 1988.
Her daughter, Hilary Martin, and her siblings have believed their mother dead but now may be close to closure.
The remains, found off a walking track in Whitireia Park, Titahi Bay, included items identified as belonging to Burt, such as a medical bracelet and a denture set with a possible misspelling of her name. DNA testing is underway to confirm the identification.
Patricia Burt’s life was marked by mental illness, beginning with the trauma of finding her own mother’s body after a suicide at age 5.
Despite struggles with prescription medication addiction and suspected Asperger’s syndrome, she raised four children. Her daughter recalls her mother’s talent as a pianist and her happiest moments playing music, contrasting sharply with her struggles and stints in psychiatric units.
Burt disappeared after a trip to church on Easter weekend in 1988, and is believed to have committed suicide in Whitireia Park.
Her family told the NZ Herald the discovery of her remains will bring a mixture of comfort and relief. They hope to cremate the remains and share them among her children, with part interred with her husband, a World War I veteran.
RIP….
How was this poor woman out there for so many years without being discovered?
As children we were free to roam on what was then a farm and was called Mt. Cooper. It was quite vast and hilly and you could climb the rocky cliffs easily and walk around the shore. There could easily be areas that were quite remote. Up on the hillsides it was desolate, often windy and quite eerie. That was back in the late 1960’s and very early 70’s. I lived in The Bay not far from there.