Hāwera double homicide: 55yo father and 15yo son killed, investigation continues

Forensic and ESR teams spent most of Monday inside the Hāwera house where two people were killed. Photo / Charlotte Cook, RNZ

The father and son killed in a Hāwera home early Monday morning have been confirmed by police as 15-year-old Regan Frost-Lawn and 55-year-old Stephen John Frost.

Their bodies were found by police who were called to a property in Manawa pou Rd at 2.30am on Monday.

A police spokesperson said an investigation is continuing and includes an ongoing scene
examination at a Hawera property.

Post mortems commenced on Tuesday, police said.

A 21-year-old man has been charged with their murders and is due to reappear in the New Plymouth High Court on February 9.

He has interim name suppression.

For residents waking up near the Manawapou Rd property, there was shock, horror and confusion, RNZ reported.

Some were shaken up, while others couldn't believe what had happened a few metres away.

One resident said they knew the man who lived there, and that he had a couple of children.

Flowers left by locals outside the property. Photo / Charlotte Cook, RNZ

"It's quite shocking to hear something like this happening in Hāwera," another said.

This neighbour, who shared a boundary fence with the property, said the community and those close to the house would be feeling it.

"I think everyone's probably in shock and we're like, whoa ... And it was only over the back, ya know?"

He, among the other residents RNZ spoke to, said they had heard nothing on Sunday evening or Monday morning.

- Additional reporting RNZ