Police have confirmed a father who was found dead after a house fire in Sanson was not burned.
Dean Field was found deceased at the property on State Highway 1/Wellington Rd in Sanson on Saturday alongside his three children August, Hugo and Goldie.
It was understood police were investigating the incident as a suspected murder-suicide, but on Monday, Manawatū area commander Inspector Ross Grantham said police were not yet calling it a homicide.
The fire broke out about 2.30pm and Grantham said it was called in by a member of the public who was driving past the home.
Two of the children’s bodies were recovered on Sunday and the third by lunchtime on Monday.
Field’s body had been found in the home earlier on.
Family members of the children were present as the bodies were brought out, and Grantham said the impact on them had been tremendous.
“It’s unimaginable, the horror and the heartache this family is going through.”
He said although the identity of the victims were already in the public domain, police could not formally name them until the coroner’s office had completed its process.
He refused to comment on whether the incident was sparked by Field separating with the children’s mother, and said all of that would form part of their ongoing investigation.
“We are working to determine why this unfolded and why three innocent children lost their lives.”
He acknowledged “the community” had lots of questions and so did police, but said there were still many they did not have answers to.
The scene examination was proving difficult with dust, fire debris and ash making it hard.
Each piece had to be carefully sifted and looked at to identify if it was evidence, and he could not give a time frame on how long that was expected to take.
“At this stage we are still working to determine the intent and circumstances surrounding this incident.”
The victim identification team had been on-site at the home, and Grantham said about a dozen officers were involved in the ongoing investigation.
Questions from the media about whether or not there were any red flags at the property prior to the incident were not able to be answered, he said, noting it was important for them to work out how and why this tragic event unfolded.
The incident had also had a significant impact on staff and he was intent on ensuring they had the support they needed after “being confronted with something so horrible”.
Post mortems for the four victims would be completed in the coming days.
A Givealittle page set up by the mother’s friend, Danni Hullett, had garnered almost $200,000 by 4pm on Monday.
It said the mother was in the “midst of this unimaginable grief” and while she was mourning the loss of her three babies her home and everything she owned was also gone.
There was uncertainty about whether insurance would cover the financial losses, and her friends were asking for donations to help ease that strain.
“We are coming together to create a safety net for her. Our goal is to provide her with the space and security needed to grieve in solitude, without the added stress of financial ruin.”
An update was posted to the page on Monday and it thanked those who had donated “for the outpour [sic] of such immediate generous financial support, the beautiful messages of love, thoughts and prayers, and the community spirit that you all have created for our friend”.
“No amount of money will ever be enough to heal the wounds left in her heart and soul, but to have this safety net to rebuild her life, knowing what feels like the whole of Aotearoa is with her, and how you have all contributed to this outpouring of love in so many ways, is more than we could’ve ever hoped for.”
The local community was also rallying around the mother with influencers and online personalties banding together to fundraise.
One of those woman, who asked not to be named, said they had formed a group and were in contact with the mother’s support network to see what it was she needed most.
