The families of children discovered dead in two separate suitcases bought at a warehouse auction have been found alive by police in Asia.
New Zealand Police said they are also expanding their murder investigation after an Auckland family made the shocking discovery of human remains as they were taking their locker home.
They purchased the unit’s contents on Aug. 11, which reportedly included “strollers, toys and a walker.”
Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua said Thursday the children, who are between five and 10 years old and are not known to be boys or girls, also have family members in New Zealand who have not yet been identified.
He added: “The investigation team is working very hard to bring accountability to the person or persons responsible for the deaths of these children.”
Mr Vaaelua also said the children may have been in the suitcases between the ages of three and four. Both suitcases were similar in size.
New Zealand police said they are also expanding their murder probe after an Auckland family bid in an auction on August 11 and won the contents of the unit before making the shocking discovery it contained human remains. Pictured: Police at the family home in Manurewa, Auckland
The suitcases were among items purchased by a New Zealand family during an online auction of a storage unit at Safe Store Papatoetoe (stock image).
Sources told the New Zealand Herald that the young children’s family is in Asia.
On Friday, the newspaper also confirmed local officials and cooperation with Interpol. “We have started investigations with foreign agencies. I can say no more,” said Vaaelua.
Inspector Vaaelua said Thursday the CCTV would be analyzed but admitted police faced a challenge given the length of time the bodies had been stored.
He added: “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.
“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.
“This is not an easy investigation, and no matter how long or how many years you serve investigating horrific cases like this, it is never an easy task. I myself am a parent of young children, but we have work to do.’
Mr Vaaelua said he understood the update on the incident had “deeply upset” the community.
“We are still on a fact-finding mission and still have many unanswered questions,” he told reporters Thursday afternoon.
“I’m really for the family of these victims, there are relatives out there who don’t know their loved ones have passed away, particularly two young children.”
The family of two primary school children whose remains were found in suitcases bought at an online auction are reportedly living in Asia
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
Insp Vaaelua said the investigation had been a challenge for the police involved given the young age of the victims. Household and personal items were also found among the suitcases.
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.
The family from Manurewa who bought the items from the storage unit is not involved in any way. They are understood to have left Auckland to avoid the media firestorm.
They had bid online for the contents of the safe deposit box at Safe Store Papatoetoe.
Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua said a post-mortem report revealed the bodies belonged to two primary school-age children
According to the practice, buyers are not allowed to search the content in depth before the auction and must bid blindly on the device.
Usually storage sheds with unpaid rent, they have been adapted into a popular US reality TV show, Storage Wars.
If they win the auction, they are then allowed to thoroughly inspect the unit.
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.
In the case of the Kiwi family, they made the startling discovery while bringing the suitcases home.
A trailer transporting the suitcases also had “strollers, toys and a walker in the back,” a neighbor of the Clendon Park property told the New Zealand Herald.
Detectives and forensic teams raided the home of the family, who unwittingly acquired the contents at auction (pictured)
“I feel sorry for the family because they have nothing to do with this,” a neighbor, Shelton Honana, told Newshub. “It’s awful, bloody scary.”
Witnesses said they saw three different hearses outside the home last Thursday night after authorities were called by the shocked shoppers.
The large rental trailer that was used to transport the freight was also stolen from the house by the investigators.
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.”
