The remains of two primary school children were found in two bags bought at auction in a warehouse in the New Zealand city of Auckland, police said on Thursday.
Inspector Tufilao Famanuya Failua suggested that the bodies of the two children had been stored for many years, noting that they were between five and ten years old. He said the bodies were placed in two suitcases of the same size. “The nature of the discovery complicates the investigation, especially because of the time elapsed between the death of two children and the discovery of their remains,” added Failua.
The remains were discovered after the family bought a trailer of belongings from a warehouse. The inspector explained that the family who bought the child had nothing to do with the death, but the find “shocked her” and she demanded respect for her privacy. Police are examining other items purchased by the family in the trailer, whether household items or personal items, to identify the two victims.
Hours of surveillance footage are also reviewed, although important moments may have been erased due to the long time between death and the discovery of the two bodies. Failua explained that the same reason made it difficult to identify the two children at autopsy. Forensics also carefully inspected the warehouse and the building, which contained two bags. The New Zealand police have asked the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for help, although they believe the parents of the two children are in New Zealand.
