It began with a car journey.
A 39-year-old Wellington woman put her 4-year-old daughter and 11-month-old son into her white Volvo and headed north on State Highway 2.
Her husband was in Australia on business.
Police believe the Volvo wound its way through the steep Rimutaka Ranges, and passed through Featherston, Greytown and Carterton before arriving in Masterton, about 100km from Wellington.
The family had a bite to eat at the local McDonald's, before turning around and heading south.
At Featherston, the Volvo turned off and headed towards Lake Wairarapa. It is believed the mother stopped at a bridge over a canal diversion of the Ruamahanga River. Police are seeking witnesses who may have seen the Volvo parked there.
When the mother headed back towards Wellington about 7 pm on Wednesday, her son was no longer in the car.
At 9.30 pm, relatives called police to a Lower Hutt house and told them about events earlier in the evening.
Police and a Masterton helicopter swooped on the Lake Wairarapa area and just after midnight a baby seat was found in the canal diversion.
The search continued but was called off at 2.30 am because of poor weather.
About 4 am, the woman was arrested and charged with abandoning a child. Police divers resumed the search at first light yesterday and about 9 am, the boy's body was found on the bank of the canal, about 3km downstream from where the baby seat was recovered.
It is thought the baby had been placed alive in the waterway.
His body was taken in a carrycot by hearse to Wellington Hospital for an autopsy. Drowning was determined to be the cause of death.
Yesterday afternoon, the slight woman, dressed in a tweed coat and trousers, appeared in the Lower Hutt District Court.
Judge Anne Gaskell remanded her in custody to Porirua Hospital until November 2 for psychiatric assessment. She granted her interim name suppression. The woman stood quietly in the dock and thanked the judge.
She is expected to face further charges at her next court appearance.
The father of the children returned from Australia yesterday and is caring for his daughter.
Lower Hutt Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Small said the police were focusing their homicide investigation on circumstances leading up to the boy's death and speaking to the family, friends and witnesses.
"It's a very sad case all round. Naturally, family members and friends are very distressed by what has happened."
- NZPA
Sad end to baby's last journey
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