Post-mortem exam fails to establish cause of death

Relatives mourn the death in Tuakau, south of Auckland. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Police have all but ruled out foul play over the death of a woman whose body was found at a house south of Auckland yesterday.

Susan Margaret Jehoda, 39, known by friends as Sue, was found dead on a bedroom floor in Tuakau, about 10km south-east of Pukekohe.

A long-time friend who lived in the house found the body when she went to wake Jehoda for lunch.

"I knew straight away she had died," said the woman, who asked not to be named.

Detective Sergeant Michele Gillespie yesterday said Jehoda had visited her friend on Friday and they had been socialising and drinking with a small group of people.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Lynch, of Counties-Manukau police, said a post mortem examination this morning failed to immediately establish a cause of death

However, police were satisfied that Ms Jehoda's death was not due to any inflicted injuries.

It was anticipated that toxicology tests would assist in determining the cause of death but it would be some weeks before results were available.

The death had now been referred to the Coroner.

The friend said everyone went to bed thinking nothing was wrong.

"There was no argument - it was just a happy, singing, laughing time. She was a good friend, I just don't know what happened to her."

Trescia Kidwell, a neighbour who had known Jehoda for 23 years, said she understood police were speaking to Jehoda's partner, thought to have been the last person to see her alive.

"This sort of thing never happens around here," Kidwell said.

"Sue was the baby of the family" said Kidwell.

"She used to get out there and enjoy herself. She was happy, that was just Sue. She was really well-known."

Jehoda's nephew, Daniel Jehoda, raced to the scene after hearing the news and said she was "a real bubbly person" who was "always helping out neighbours".

"There was a lot going through my head. Who? What? Where? When? Why?"

- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: NZPA and Heather McCracken