Police have revealed the devastating house fire in Sanson that claimed the lives of three young children is being treated as a homicide.
August, Hugo and Goldie died on Saturday in a fire at their Sanson home. Their father, Dean Field, was also found dead at the scene. His post-mortem examination has been completed, with the three children’s set to be carried out tomorrow.
Manawatū Area Commander Inspector Ross Grantham said he wanted to reassure the community that police are not seeking anybody else in relation to the investigation.
“A forensic examination of the scene is ongoing and it will take some time to get the results once that examination has been completed,” Grantham said.
“A team of police staff are working hard to get answers for the family, but I want to stress to the public that we will not have these answers immediately,” he said.
Police are asking for anybody who may have information on Saturday’s incident to come forward.
Grantham said police will officially release the identities of the people who died and any family approved images when they are in a position to do so.
The Manawatū primary school attended by two of the children who died in “horrific” circumstances says staff are working through an “unprecedented” situation.
Neighbours of the Fields have described the tragedy as “horrific”.
Today, the flag was being flown at half-mast at Feilding’s Mount Biggs school. A guardian of a pupil at the school told the Herald August and Hugo were students there.
In an email sent out to caregivers, the school’s board of trustees (BOT) said they realised many people had questions.
“Yesterday, the BOT met with the MoE [Ministry of Education] Crisis Response Team and NZ Police. We spent a lot of time working through an unprecedented situation with the family front of mind,” the email said.
“Part of our process was to formulate a plan to ensure student and staff support is in place. Our staff also came together yesterday evening to support one another.”
The school was navigating a “particularly challenging situation” and were bound by legal processes, it said.
“This is an evolving situation and we will be guided by MoE and NZ Police.”
As a school community they knew everyone would continue to support and care for each other, the email said.
“The MoE Crisis Team has advised us that the best support you can offer your child/ren in the immediate future is to provide reassurance that they are safe and keep routine as normal as possible. School this week will continue as usual. This is the best way we can support our tamariki [children], through routine and structure.”
An earlier email sent by principal Kyle Harris said there had been a “tragedy within our community” over the weekend.
“This is an exceptionally tragic and evolving situation. We will keep you informed as information is made available from official channels,” he wrote.
The school and ministry have been contacted for comment.
Friends of the children’s mother, Chelsey Field, set up a Givealittle donation page for her on Sunday to create a “safety net for her” and to “provide her with the space and security needed to grieve in solitude, without the added stress of financial ruin”.
That Givealittle page has so far raised more than $296,000 from upwards of 7800 donors.
The page’s creator, Danni Hullett, thanked donors in a message on Monday “for the outpour[ing] 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,” Hullett wrote.
Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice, and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 12 years.