Fijian police have named the girlfriend of a deceased Australian hotel manager as a suspect in his violent death, a case that was initially investigated as a suicide.
Jason Rigby, 40, the assistant manager at the Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort, died from fatal stab wounds to his chest in his staff apartment on December 14, 2024. His body was discovered by his girlfriend, Shivani Siwan, who reportedly told Rigby's family he had died by suicide.
Fijian authorities have since shifted their investigation, with Assistant Commissioner Loraini Seru confirming to Nine's 60 Minutes that detectives are now treating Rigby's death as a murder and that Ms. Siwan has been interviewed.
"She is treated as a suspect... we have interviewed (her)," Ms. Seru stated. When asked if Ms. Siwan was the prime suspect, Ms. Seru indicated she was the only individual interviewed thus far. The police's brief of evidence has been forwarded to Fiji's office of public prosecution for potential charges.
Ms. Seru also confirmed that Mr. Rigby's friend and Crowne Plaza executive chef, Ian Lovie, was present in the room at the time of Rigby's death. Mr. Lovie is not considered a suspect, and no charges have been laid.
The investigation faced delays, including the temporary misplacement of an autopsy report from the Queensland coroner, which was eventually found 10 months later. Concerns have also been raised by Rigby's family regarding delays by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in accessing evidence from his work phone.
"That is a part of the evidence we are looking forward to and I believe the AFP are aware of the weight of the report... to assist us in our investigation," Ms. Seru said.
Mr. Rigby's sister-in-law, Jess, expressed that the recent developments have provided the family with renewed hope of uncovering the truth surrounding his death. She and her husband, Chris Rigby (Mr. Rigby's younger brother), have engaged a private investigator and a Fijian lawyer to aid their efforts. "Jason absolutely deserves better than this. Even though there is one suspect, there are multiple other people that may have been involved here. And Chris and I won't rest until everyone is made accountable," Jess Rigby stated.
The family remembers Mr. Rigby as an avid surfer and golfer who had been enjoying his work at the Fijian resort. The Daily Mail has contacted the AFP for comment.