Fairy watches over grave of little 'angel'

A fairy marks the grave of Sarah, who was buried last week. Police won't say how or when she died. Picture / Amos Chapple

The words on a little white cross in the corner of the Putaruru Cemetery read, "our angel Sarah".

This is the grave of a baby aged 3 1/2 months who is at the centre of a homicide investigation.

Wilted flowers cover her grave site and plastic rings dug into the freshly turned earth glint in the afternoon sun.

A fairy in an orb stares out from beneath plastic Cellophane and a white teddy bear with a red heart looks over the scene from inside a jar.

Mystery surrounds Sarah's death. Police refuse to release any details about how and when she died.

Detective Rick Rudolph of Tokoroa says the case is sensitive.

"The case is not straightforward. If it was we would have had someone arrested for it."

It is understood Sarah was found dead by family members in her Galway Cres home last Sunday morning. Police launched a homicide inquiry last Tuesday after a routine pathology examination showed inconsistencies.

Sources said the death was originally thought to be sudden infant death syndrome but the pathologist found Sarah had head and abdominal injuries.

Coroner Marin Glucina said he was notified of the baby's death on the Sunday morning. All he knew was police were still investigating.

"Any death of a youngster, unless there's an explained reason for it, is going to be under a cloud," he said.

A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said people were aware someone had died, but no one knew a baby was involved until police cordoned off the house on Tuesday and started door-knocking.

Another neighbour said she had never heard any problems from the house.

Sarah's young parents are understood to have lived there for about six months.

"I think everybody just feels pretty sick about it," said the woman.

"It's just a young couple," said another man.

"They seemed fairly simple. You see them walking around sometimes."

He believed the couple would not be much older than teenagers.

He said the baby was the mother's third child.

The Herald visited Sarah's family, who refused to comment.

One woman said they had spoken to their lawyer, who had advised them not to make any comment.

Police in Tokoroa said yesterday that more details on the baby's death would be made public next week.