Bodies of 2 children found rotting in suitcases in storage unit are IDENTIFIED as cops hunt for missing mother
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND: Police have identified the two children whose remains were found rotting in abandoned suitcases at a New Zealand storage unit. The matter came to light when a family from Manurewa bid in an auction and won the storage unit's contents on August 11. New Zealand Police Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua later said that they believe the remains of the children, who were between five and ten years old, may have been inside the suitcases for three to four years.
Detectives have said that they believe they know the identity of the children but cannot name them publicly because of a legal suppression order. They also claim to have linked a female relative to this homicide who is said to be the children's mother and is believed to be missing and in South Korea. Detective Inspector Vaaelua told NZ Herald, "This order suppresses the names of the children and their relatives and evidence that may lead to the identification of the two victims. Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the children. The family that found this suitcase with two bodies stuffed inside it was not linked to this horrific crime and the coroner issued the interim non-publication order at the request of the family.
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Stuff has further reported that the children are thought to be a girl and a boy, born in Auckland in 2009 and 2012 respectively. The parents are said to be from Seoul, South Korea, married in New Zealand. The publication also reports that the children's father died of cancer in 2017. Seoul police have previously said a woman suspected to be the mother of the two children may be in South Korea since 2018 and might be a Korean-born New Zealander. A police officer told Reuters, "New Zealand police had requested confirmation whether the person who might be related to a crime case was in South Korea." Detective Inspector Vaaelua also said there are reasons to believe that these two ill-fated children have family in New Zealand.
Two children found stuffed in suitcases identified
Vaaelua, while speaking to the press, said, "The nature of this discovery provides some complexities to the investigation especially given the time lapsed between the time of death and the time of discovery. A lot of us (in the police) are parents and we have a job to do and we're doing our very best to identify the victims. What I can say is we are making very good progress with DNA inquiries. The investigation team is working very hard to hold accountable the person or persons responsible for the death of these children. We've commenced inquiries with overseas agencies. I cannot state any further than that."
New Zealand police have revealed human remains that were found in old suitcases were those of 2 children. The pair were aged between 5 and 10, and may have been dead 3 or 4 years. https://t.co/3mesg7z0li #Auckland #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/KkY2LbBF69
— 7NEWS Australia (@7NewsAustralia) August 18, 2022
Vaaelua said the police would dive into the CCTV footage but the length of time that the bodies have spent in the storage room is an obstacle for the law enforcement officials. He said, "The nature of this discovery provides some complexities to the investigation especially given the time lapsed between the time of death and the time of discovery."