Palmerston North Police have this morning launched a scene examination at a Russell Street property where a man was found dead and a woman critically injured yesterday (7 February 2014) evening.
The address is occupied by a large family of Chinese descent and the deceased man aged in his late 60s, and the injured woman aged in her mid 30s, are members of this family. It is believed that some children were in the property at the time of the incident however exact details at this stage are unknown.
"The deceased man has been badly burnt and one of our priorities today is removing his body from the scene so we can conduct a post-mortem. Because of the extensive burns to his body it is likely to take considerable time to formally identify him," says officer in charge of the Manawatu CIB, Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Sheridan.
"We have established that the woman has received stab wounds to her face and upper body and late yesterday evening she underwent surgery. She is in a serious but non-life threatening condition. It is anticipated she will be in hospital for some time.
"Our focus over the next 48 hours is to conduct a thorough scene examination and to locate any weapons. Another key focus for us is determining the series of events that led up to this tragic incident and understanding the family dynamic.
"English is not the family's first language and we have sourced a translator so we can communicate effectively as the investigation progresses. Our inquiries will take some time as we have a significant number of people to speak to."
A team of 10 officers are working on the scene today as well as conducting area inquiries and speaking to witnesses.
"I want to thank residents in the area for their understanding and support as we go about our work.
"This has been a horrific time for the family and they are completely devastated at what has happened. Officers are working closely with the family and in the coming days we will formally interview them. We hope to hand back the property to the family as soon as possible.
"At this stage we have not spoken to the injured woman as her well-being is paramount. Plans will be made to speak to her once she is in a stable condition."
There is no record of previous police attendance at this address and police are not seeking anyone else in relation to this investigation.
"We are working closely with the Coroner on this investigation and once we have a clearer picture of what has happened we will present this information to them," says Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Sheridan.
Police will not release any further details about the deceased until a formal ID has been conducted and next of kin has been informed.
No further releases will be made by police on this matter today.
Police seek the support of media in respecting the privacy and recognising the grief process of the family.
Note: Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Sheridan is only available to interview between 10:30 to 11:30am today.
Media enquiries should be referred to Communications Manager Sara Stavropoulos on 027 702 0850.