When Sarah and Jacob Ramsay got married in Stratford just over 18 months ago, they were looking forward to a lifetime of building more memories together.
At the start of July this year, those memories were set to include welcoming their third child to the family, a baby named Olliver due in September. Now, however, as well as planning for Olliver's impending arrival, Sarah has been planning a funeral for the husband she calls "the love of my life".
While Sarah was in Waikato visiting a midwife, Jacob's body was found at an Upper Kina Rd property in Oaonui on Sunday, July 31, at 8.40am. Two men have since been charged with his murder.
Sarah's brother says that, when police called her on Monday morning to tell her of Jacob's death, "she was instantly heartbroken by the news and is struggling to come to terms with the situation".
Sarah is a familiar face to many in Stratford, having worked at the Empire Hotel in recent years.