Jason Rigby’s family seek answers to the resort manager’s violent Fiji death

The sudden and violent death of Australian man Jason Rigby at a new Fiji resort he helped manage has left his family in ‘complete shock’ and with deep suspicions.

Australian citizen Jason Rigby died at Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort and Spa, where he was working as executive assistant manager, on December 14, 2024. Picture: Supplied

The sudden and violent death of an Australian manager at a new Fiji resort has left his family in “complete shock” and with deep suspicions.

Jason Rigby appeared to be loving life in Fiji before being found with stab wounds to his chest in his staff unit at the Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort and Spa in December, relatives say.

Hotel management reported the incident to the Australian High Commission in capital Suva as a death by suicide, and Fiji police say they believe the injuries were self-inflicted.

Crowne Plaza Nadi Bay Fiji where Mr Rigby worked and was found dead in his staff unit.

But Mr Rigby’s brother Chris Rigby said devastated family members had many unanswered questions, believing there was “no way” the laid-back surfer and keen amateur golfer they knew would take his own life.

A second independent autopsy had been carried out in Queensland, he revealed.

“The family is here to work with authorities and help in any way we can,” he said.

Born in Christchurch and aged 40 when he died, Jason Rigby was the eldest of three brothers.

His youngest brother is actor Benjamin Rigby, who has appeared in Neighbours, Alien: Covenant, and Ford v Ferrari and who was recently in the news after his house burnt down in the California wildfires.

Chris Rigby, Robyn Rigby (Mum to three Rigby boys), Jason Rigby and Benjamin Rigby. Picture: Supplied

“I still can’t comprehend that I’m saying goodbye to my brother and my home in the same week but here we are,” Benjamin recently posted on Instagram. “Goodbye Jason Rigby my big big brother, and goodbye Pacific Palisades.”

Fiji’s tourism industry is vital to its economy and has been reeling from a series of incidents involving Australians.

Poisoned pina coladas are suspected to have struck down seven people including four Australians at the five-star Warwick Resort on the Coral Coast on the same day Mr Rigby died.

A Fijian farmer was also charged in January with raping a 21-year-old Australian flight attendant who had seen in the new year with her Virgin colleagues at a nightclub in Nadi during a layover. A male crew member suffered facial injuries in a violent robbery the same night.

The Rigby brothers’ father was a hotel manager, so the family moved frequently, spending time in Melbourne before a stint of two-and-a-half years in Suva.

Jason Rigby riding a wave in Indonesia during a surf trip. Picture: supplied

They eventually settled on the Gold Coast, where Jason earned an academic scholarship to attend Trinity Lutheran College, joined surf lifesaving and competed in swimming at a state level.

“Jason loved surfing, golf, partying. Got his business degree at Griffith University. Pretty much followed in his father’s footsteps into hotels,” Chris said.

“He just loved his freedom and doing what he wanted, when he wanted – work and play at the same time.”

Over the course of his career, Mr Rigby helped launch five hotels and resorts, the most recent being the Crowne Plaza Fiji which opened on the site of the former Pullman Nadi Bay in March last year after an extensive refurbishment.

He was executive assistant manager at the resort, managed by IHG group.

Queensland Police went to the home of Jason’s mother Robyn in Surfers Paradise on Saturday, December 14, to break the news of his tragic death earlier that morning.

Finding no one home, the officers left a note in the letter box saying they would return to discuss something.

Before police could return, Robyn started contacting family members to check they were OK. Jason’s girlfriend in Fiji broke the news to her over the phone that Mr Rigby was “gone”.

A witness has said Mr Rigby grabbed a knife from the kitchen and went into the bathroom.

Family members are calling for a thorough investigation so all the facts are known.

“(It came as a) complete shock. There’s some conflicting information that we’ve been told,” Chris said.

In the days before he died, Jason told his mum he had an upcoming HR meeting at the hotel.

The family has since discovered that the meeting was held two days prior to Jason’s death and related to another staff member crashing a vehicle.

Jason and his brothers moved around with their father, a hotel industry veteran, before settling on the Gold Coast. Picture: Supplied

Chris Rigby said it appeared to be a relatively minor issue that would not have seriously bothered his brother.

“I don’t think it was him at fault 100 per cent, but someone drove one of the vehicles there unlicensed and crashed it and wrote it off, and I think broke his arm or something like that,” he said.

“(Jason) wouldn’t get worried about that stuff. He would just brush it off and be like, yeah, sweet, I’ll just get a job somewhere else. That’s the mentality he had. He was easy going and nothing really used to frustrate him.”

Chris and his father Peter flew to Fiji to formally identify Jason and bring his body back to Australia.

No suicide note was found, and no alcohol or drugs were detected in Jason’s system in initial tests in Fiji, he said.

As recently as last week, the family received information suggesting police were conducting DNA tests on people who had been at the scene.

Jason’s body went to a Queensland coroner for an autopsy to support the Fiji investigation.

“All we’ve got from the Queensland coroners as of yet was `cause of death, penetrating stab wounds’.”

Jason was quizzed in a HR meeting two days before his death about another staff member crashing a car. Picture: Supplied

Several days after Jason’s death, Fiji media quoted the resort’s Australian general manager, Shaun Parsons, as saying there was “no criminal investigation” into the incident.

Mr Parsons immediately reported the death to the Australian High Commission in Suva as a suicide, Jason’s family has been informed.

“The incident remains an ongoing police investigation so we’re unable to provide further details. Please contact the Fiji Police with your enquiry,” Mr Parsons told The Weekend Australian on Friday.

Police spokesman Sergeant Wame Bautolu told Fiji media last month that “investigations are ongoing”, and Assistant Commissioner Mesake Waqa added that police would keep an open mind as they investigated the cause of death.

“We will not be drawn into speculation and assure the victim’s family of conduct of a thorough investigation,” Mr Waqa said.

Acting Commissioner of Fiji Police, Juki Fong Chew, said Friday: “So far it has been established that the victim died from injuries sustained due to self-inflicted wounds. Upon completion of the investigation the file will be forwarded to the resident magistrate recommending an inquest to be done.”

The family has hired a lawyer in Fiji and has been promised a police report but is yet to receive it.

Nicholas Tobias (stepbrother), Peter Rigby (dad of Chris, Ben, Jason), Christopher Rigby, Jason Rigby. Picture: Supplied

Jason last returned to Australia in November for his father Peter’s 70th birthday.

“He had been discussing going to Vietnam and I had a contact in Vietnam who had been interested in hiring him as a junior general manager. He would have found that out a couple of days later, but unfortunately he didn’t hear it. He had a lot of things to look forward to,” Peter said.

Jason and Chris had been on surf trips together to Indonesia and there had been no sign of anything seriously troubling the eldest sibling.

“He was looking to buy property in Australia. He played golf every weekend,” Chris said.

“I went to the morgue and saw my brother there. It’s pretty much nearly impossible for someone to do that to themselves. He was mentally stable. No mental health issues. He’s got no record of ever seeing doctors or anything for any mental health. So it’s very suspicious what has gone on over there.”

His brother was never known to have harmed himself prior to the incident, Chris said.

“Not once. Never talked about anything like that. He was just not that type of person. It’s not a part of his character. He would never say a bad word about anyone or anything, really. There was no warning whatsoever. He was on a good salary in Fiji – he was loving it over there.”