A former Rotorua woman who lives near the scene of a grisly triple homicide at a Perth home says the killings have left the close-knit community shocked and in disbelief.
Sarah Bell moved to Perth from Rotorua in May 2015 and lives in Ellenbrook, just 150m from the Brixton Cres house where a mother and her 8-year-old son were found dead on Saturday. The mother's 15-year-old daughter died of critical injuries as she was rushed to hospital.
A 19-year-old man has been charged with murdering three of his family members.
He appeared in the Midland's Magistrates Court today and has been named as Teancum Vernon Petersen-Crofts. He was remanded into a mental health facility until his next court appearance.
Bell told the Rotorua Daily Post she and her Kiwi partner Brad lived in a new part of Ellenbrook that had new houses, manicured lawns, lots of parks and was very family friendly and quiet.