Feilding pensioners were stabbed

Ted Ferguson (left) and Margaret Waldin

Police have confirmed the two elderly people found dead in a flat in Feilding on Sunday morning suffered stab wounds.

The post mortem on the body of Edward (Ted) Henry James Ferguson, 73, is yet to be completed but police spokesman Jon Neilson confirmed both Mr Ferguson and Margaret Teresa Waldin, 76, had stab wounds.

A post mortem had already confirmed Mrs Waldin had died from the stab wounds.

"We're not providing any further detail at this stage because we're still conducting the second post mortem and that will take all day," Mr Neilson told NZPA.

"Police are considering what sort of weapon was used and it may still be at the scene."

The area around the central Feilding flat was also being searched and members of the public were invited to come forward if they found a sharp object that might have been used.

A team of 36 police remain in Feilding working on the inquiry and Mr Neilson said the scene examination could take until the end of the week.

Working on the scene was being made more difficult by the cramped conditions in the one-bedroom flat.

Mr Neilson said today forensic work and the area canvass would continue. "It's just more of the old slog while people's memories are fresh and we can get statements.

"It will be quite a lot of work to go through all the statements and find out where there is some common ground and some points that they can tick off."

Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Sheridan, heading the investigation, yesterday urged people to take notice of anybody behaving unusually or talking about the crimes.

- NZPA