Father seeks murder clues

"I don't believe Brenda could have done that." These were the words from Mark Fielding just hours after police told him his wife Brenda, 40, had killed their two children, Cameron, 10, and Krystal, 8, and then herself.

At their home in Onaero Beach, in Taranaki, the waves crashing against the sea wall are loud enough to cover all manner of sins. For investigating police, it even covered those that left three members of the four-strong Fielding family dead some time between Sunday and the following Wednesday evening.

Detectives have yet to discover when they died - they have simply determined it was a murder-suicide and the three died at the same time. The Herald on Sunday understands Mrs Fielding was under psychiatric care at one stage of her life.

When police announced they were not looking for the killer, and Mrs Fielding was responsible for the three deaths, residents of the quiet seaside settlement, 20 minutes from New Plymouth, were relieved there was not a murderer among them - and horrified they could find relief in any of this.

As a stunned Mr Fielding returned from the Papua New Guinea oil rig on which he worked, a picture began to emerge of the strain this postcard-perfect life was under.

Neighbours would often see Mrs Fielding, Krystal and Cameron walking the beach and playing in the sand. Driftwood was a feature of the colourful home, which Mrs Fielding decorated with fairies, decorative butterflies and parrots. While neighbours spoke of the friendly boy with a passion for "bikes and bulldozers", friends say Mrs Fielding was increasingly concerned with Cameron's achievements at Urenui School, where he was in year 5 and Krystal year 3.

"That was a big thing for Brenda," said one. "He was getting well behind. She was looking at taking him to different schools. It was causing a lot of stress. There was concern not enough was being done about it ... it was distressing her terribly."

Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Coward, who declared the tragedy a murder-suicide, said police had the same information.

Mark and Brenda Fielding had lived at the house on Onaero Rd for about 18 months, taking it over from crew members of The Last Samurai. They rented it from Gregory and Karen Earp, whose children also went to Urenui School, and played soccer with the Fielding children.

Three weekends ago, Cameron stayed at the Earps' down the road. Mr Fielding dropped him off, had a coffee, stayed for an hour then left. Mr Earp said Mr Fielding had worked on an oil rig for about 10 years working a month on a month off, "I think he quite enjoyed it," he said.

It was the Earps that Mr Fielding turned to on Wednesday night. He rang after hearing of the death of his family to see if the Earps knew anything more. "I think he just wanted to hear a familiar voice," said Mr Earp.

"Mark asked what we knew ... we knew the three of them were dead, and we assumed what had happened. Police had told him what had happened as well ... all he could really say was 'I don't believe Brenda could have done that'," he said. "When he was back they were always together, always with each other ... they were happy."

Urenui School principal Joel Webby said the Ministry of Education had sent in a trauma team to help staff cope with the tragedy. Because of the school's size - 107 pupils - "teachers couldn't help but be close to the kids", said Mr Webby. "It's a very close-knit school. We're all trying to make sense of it, it's one of those things but it's so terrible."

Cameron was sporty and he'd always be "active during playtime kicking a rugby or soccer ball around with his friends out on the field".

Mr Webby said Krystal was a talented artist who enjoyed socialising with her peers.

The school has turned the school bus shelter into a shrine for the pair, and put a letterbox there for children to post cards or letters that share the "good times and memories of Cameron and Krystal".

The first letter was there on Friday afternoon, addressed in a child's colourful scrawl, "to Mr Fielding, from Lisa".

- HERALD ON SUNDAY