The family of two primary school children whose remains were found in suitcases bought at an online auction are reportedly living in Asia.
The remains were discovered in suitcases bought online by residents of a property in Manurewa, a suburb of South Auckland, New Zealand.
News of the family’s existence has prompted New Zealand Police to work with Interpol as the murder investigation continues.
In a news conference Thursday afternoon, Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua said the children were between five and 10 years old.
“We have started investigations with foreign agencies. That’s all I can say,” Detective Vaaelua said, as reported by the New Zealand Herald.
The family of two primary school children whose remains were found in suitcases bought at an online auction are reportedly living in Asia
The suitcases were among items purchased by a New Zealand family during an online auction of a storage unit at Safe Store Papatoetoe
How the bodies were found
The family who discovered the bodies first purchased the contents of a locker at Safe Store Papatoetoe via an online auction on Aug. 11.
They loaded the goods onto a trailer and took them home before sorting the load in the front yard of their property.
A neighbor said the trailer had “strollers, toys and a walker” among other household items. The family then opened the suitcases, discovered the bodies, and notified authorities.
A director of storage company Safe Store Ltd, who asked not to be identified, said the company was cooperating with the police in its investigation.
“We won’t say anything because the police are investigating and we are cooperating with the police,” the director said.
Confusion and horror at the crime scene
On the Loop podcast, Cheree Kinnear detailed the moment journalists showed up at the scene, initially believing it was a domestic violence incident.
“At least two hearses pulled up,” she said. “We were still unclear as to what had happened. We thought it had something to do with the people who lived in the house.
“There was a rumor that maybe there was a domestic problem. We knew there had been a body, maybe it was a murder.” The rumor, of course, was false.
Kineear recalled speaking to a neighbor who said she smelled a “nasty” smell from next door when the bodies were first found.
Another neighbor said her son saw the family remove the suitcase from the trailer before standing back in shock at the grim discovery.
What the police know about the children
New Zealand Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua said detectives were still working to confirm the identities of the children, who may have been stuffed in the suitcases for four years.
However, he hinted that investigators had a lead as to her identity and said they had relatives living in the country.
Inspector Vaaelua said: “The nature of this discovery makes the investigation somewhat complicated, especially given the time that elapsed between the time of death and the time of discovery.
Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua said a post-mortem report revealed the bodies belonged to two primary school-age children
A family from Manurewa, south Auckland, bid at an auction on August 11 and won the unit’s contents before making the shocking discovery it contained human remains
“A lot of us (in the police force) are parents and we have a job to do and we’re doing our best to identify the victims.
“What I can say is that we are making very good progress with DNA research.
“The investigation team is working very hard to bring accountability to the person or persons responsible for the deaths of these children.”
The horrified family who discovered the body left town
Detective Inspector Vaaelua said the family who discovered the bodies in the suitcases were in no way involved in the children’s deaths.
They are understood to have left Auckland to avoid the media firestorm.
“We are still on a reconnaissance mission and still have many unanswered questions,” said Inspector Vaaelua on Thursday.
Detectives and forensic teams raided the home of the family, who unwittingly acquired the contents at auction (pictured)
“I really feel for the family of these victims, there are relatives out there who are unaware that their loved ones have passed away, particularly two young children.”
Insp Vaaelua said the investigation had been a challenge for the police involved given the young age of the victims.
Retired officer Mr Burdett offered his condolences to the family after the horrific discovery.
“When faced with situations like this, you can never forget them, you can never lose sight of them,” he was quoted as saying.
Hannah Grant, who runs storage company Titan Containers, said storage companies may auction off units if the original owners default on their payments.
She said some auctions are conducted in person, but potential buyers don’t really get a chance to view the device before placing a bid.
“We don’t want to make a profit off of people’s stuff,” she said. “We want the items gone so we have more space to rent out.”
