Police look to parents in twins' deaths

Police investigating the killings of baby twins Chris and Cru Kahui are focusing on five family members - including the parents.

A Herald on Sunday investigation has uncovered new details about the horrific case - including the fact that one of the twins had to be given CPR by a family member a day before they were taken to hospital.

Police say officially they have no suspects in the killings, but a source close to the investigation says police are primarily focused on the twins' father, Sonny "Chris" Kahui, 21; their mother, Macsyne King, 27; their grandfather, William "Banjo" Kahui; and an aunt and uncle of the twins, Mona-Louise Kahui and Stuart King.

Police said four of the adults lived at 22 Courtenay Cres, Mangere, and the grandfather was a regular visitor.

"We've got an open mind as to who, within that close circle of family, may be responsible," said the investigation's second-in-command, Colin Higson. A source close to the investigation said police were ready to press charges in the next few days but were frustrated by the family's refusal to name who hurt Chris and Cru. The family has closed ranks in a pact to protect one another.

If detectives could not uncover the culprit, they would charge all the family members with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, the source said. Police said they would not rule this out.

The twins were injured sometime in the days leading up to Tuesday, June 13, when they were taken to Middlemore Hospital by their mother. The twins, who had severe brain injuries, were immediately transferred to Starship Hospital. They died last Sunday. Police know there was a party at the twins' house on Saturday night, June 10, but are still unsure when the babies were injured.

Macsyne was away from the house for 12 hours before she returned and took her babies to hospital. Lawyers and police know where she went but would not reveal details.

Chris Kahui's dinged-up black Toyota Celica has been parked outside his partner's blue weatherboard house since the babies were admitted to hospital. His twins and 1-year-old son, Shayne - along with Macsyne, her brother Stuart King, Chris' sister Mona-Louise Kahui, and that couple's baby daughter Cyene - had moved into the home a few months earlier.

Neighbours say Chris split his time between there and 101 Maplesden Drive in Manurewa, another rundown house where his father Bill Kahui and other family lived.

The Herald on Sunday has also uncovered new details about the babies and their family. Chris and Cru were two surviving triplets - a third baby died in childbirth. Outside their Mangere home, dirty nappies are strewn on the back lawn, towels hang from the washing line and a large recycling bin is full of empty Steinlager bottles and KGB cans.

Neighbours say groups of young people would party any night of the week, drinking and playing thumping music in a street where mostly retired couples and young families live.

"This is an older neighbourhood, it's quiet, they would have been the loudest on the street," one neighbour said. "One day, we saw them start drinking in the morning and go all day." Another neighbour said the home had been eerily quiet since the final party last Saturday.

Herald on Sunday inquiries have revealed that one of the twins was given CPR by their aunt, Mona-Louise, on Monday, June 12.

"CPR was administered, and the mother has been asked by police about the broken leg and the pain that the child would have been in," Mr Higson said.

Police did not know whether the baby's brain injuries would have prevented him crying in pain.

"There was a party at the house on the Saturday night; whether the house was unusually quiet after that or not is still something we're looking at."

Mr Higson said the time period under police scrutiny had been stretched out to a week, "to be on the safe side".

Police said earlier in the week that in that time, 12 friends and relatives had visited the house.

Marie Dhyrberg, Macsyne's lawyer, believed the fatal injuries occurred on the Monday night. She confirmed that one of the babies had stopped breathing, and that a female relative had used CPR to resuscitate him.

Relatives had been taught how to perform CPR on the dangerously premature babies when they were brought home from hospital, she said.

The young mother was viewed as a "person of interest", Ms Dhyrberg said. It was "bullshit" that she was a witness. "I can assure you that anybody who had opportunity to injure those children has to be a potential suspect."

She laughed at the suggestion all five could be charged with conspiracy.

"Well, they could do that, but good luck. The police can't do that unless they have evidence that there was an agreement, that there was knowledge. In this case [the family] would all have had to say 'We know what happened, and we agree not to tell anyone.'."

Chris Kahui's lawyer, Lorraine Smith, said her client had made a statement to the police before she had been instructed to act for him, and police had refused to hand over a transcript of the interview video.

She closed off all police contact with Chris until they allowed her to watch the video on Wednesday.

Walking hand-in-hand into the Otahuhu police station, Mrs Smith and Mr Kahui spent six hours watching the initial video and then helped the police with their inquiries.

Mrs Smith first met the twins' parents shortly after Cru died at Starship Hospital last Sunday morning. The couple had their arms around each other and were holding Cru between them after taking him off life support.

"Tears were streaming down Chris' face. Their grief was like the sky, it covered everything," Mrs Smith said.

One week after the babies died, she said Chris Kahui was still in shock. "His brain is like papier mache, he can't absorb anything."

Macsyne, Stuart and Bill spoke to a Herald on Sunday reporter last Saturday night. They have not spoken publicly since.

Bill, since described as "a hard man", talked with head bowed and tears running down his face. He thought his grandsons - who were hospitalised after being born prematurely - should have been kept in hospital for much longer. "They came out too early. Even if they live, they will have such bad brain damage..."

Cru had been taken off life support that morning, and his father had since been cradling him in his arms. "We're just waiting for him to go to sleep."

Macsyne, exhausted, spoke to the Herald on Sunday during one of her frequent cigarette breaks.

Slumped on a handrail in the cold hospital entrance, she wore a baseball cap and kept her arms crossed during the conversation, often silently looking to her brother, Stuart, for support.

Both were polite, but wary.

Macsyne was surprised that police had released details of the case to media and said they had probably told only "half the story".

She refused to say who had been responsible for her children at the time of the injury. "Nup, I'm not telling you that," she said.

Stuart, a tall, lean scaffolder, said last Saturday night that the family would meet to consider releasing a statement to the Herald on Sunday.

Later, spokesperson Ani Hawke said they had been given legal advice not to speak out. By 7am Sunday, Cru was dead; Chris died that night.

More tears flow as babies buried

In between the recriminations, there were more tears for the two dead babies.

The exhausted parents of 3-month-old boys Chris and Cru Kahui, Macsyne King (27) and Sonny "Chris" Kahui (21), had already buried one child - their triplet, understood to have died during a difficult, premature birth.

The boys' death was very different. The murdered babies were buried together in Mangere, in a single white coffin, by the gravestone of their great-grandmother.

Dozens of relatives closed ranks between photographers and parents. Mongrel Mob jackets and dreadlocks blocked media from seeing most of the ceremony and a cold wind swept away farewell prayers and songs.

A woman pleaded with the mourners to let God guide them to be good parents. She preached of accountability, and the importance of family. Ms King and Mr Kahui cuddled other children and were supported by relatives as the coffin was lowered.

Ms King placed two bunches of ribbons in the grave; small children came forward with bunches of flowers almost bigger than themselves, then went to play hopscotch on other graves.

Four men, including the twins' uncle, Stuart King, quickly shovelled dirt on to the coffin. It took only a few minutes to fill the babies' grave.