Neighbours of dead toddler say kids rarely played outside

File photo / Hawke's Bay Today

The curtains were often drawn and the children rarely came out to play at the home of the 3-year-old Palmerston North girl whose death is at the centre of a homicide inquiry.

Some residents of Hulme St in the quiet suburb of Roslyn were surprised to learn children even lived there, others said they only saw them coming and going in a car.

"The kids never came out to play. I only remember a couple of times seeing the little kids come out," said a female neighbour, who did not want to be identified.

Police released the name of toddler Kash McKinnon yesterday and said the post mortem examination confirmed her injuries were "non-accidental".

They said she was home with a 21-year-old man - not related to her - and three other children aged 2, 4 and 6 when a visitor sounded the alarm, about 1.20pm on Wednesday. Not all the children were siblings, police said.

Paramedics arrived to find the toddler unconscious with head injuries. She died in Palmerston North Hospital - with her mother by her side - the next day.

Yesterday, police tape encircled the single-storey home with curtains drawn on all three front windows and daisies dotting the overgrown front lawn. A police patrol car sat outside.

Kash is the second toddler to die in suspicious circumstances in less than a fortnight, following the death of a 2-year-old in Kaitaia on August 8.

A third toddler, 17-month-old Tinisha Walker from Whangarei, was flown to Auckland's Starship children's hospital with serious injuries.

Police spokeswoman Kim Perks said yesterday police did not have anybody in custody in relation to the homicide inquiry and would not say whether they were looking for anyone.

Inquiry head Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Sheridan said: "Since Wednesday I have been as open as I can be about who was at the house that day as I felt it was appropriate to do so.

"It is now not appropriate for me to comment about the involvement or otherwise of those people in this investigation."

He would not release details about the extent of the child's injuries, or who was home on Wednesday afternoon. "I anticipate that the gathering of information both from medical professionals and the pathologist, and the review of that information, will take some time."

Mr Sheridan said 12 officers were working on the homicide investigation. Staff would continue interviewing people in the area, and medical professionals involved.

He said Child, Youth and Family had finished interviewing the children.