Tests for poison after triple deaths

Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

Police are awaiting tests for poison to determine how a pregnant woman and her two young daughters died.

Post mortem examination results - which were expected yesterday morning - would not be known for another few weeks.

The bodies of Melissa Dorward, Keira Watson, 4, and Ellah Watson, 2, were found by a family member at their home in Rockwood Place, Haumoana, near Hastings, about 10am on Sunday. A neighbour said the family had just moved into the house.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dave de Lange said police had been working closely with the coroner and pathologist and said it was important to wait for the results before they could clearly say what happened.

"Police are not in a position to release any details relating to the cause of death until all the facts have been clearly established and the results are known," Mr De Lange said.

"There are several different scenarios that have been suggested regarding what has occurred. Obviously all can't be correct and this speculation is not helpful or fair on the families of Melissa, Keira and Ellah."

No weapons were found and there were no visible injuries to the three bodies.

Ms Dorward's partner and two primary-school aged sons were not near the house at the time.

Police released a statement saying the deaths were not being treated as suspicious and no other parties were being sought in connection with the deaths.

A neighbour said that the family had only just moved into the house on the morning that they were found dead, and that she had seen Ms Dorward taking items from her car into the house on Friday.

Family members contacted yesterday did not want to comment on the matter.

Keira and Ellah were well loved at Te Awanga Kindergarten - not far from the new street that the family had moved to. The two sons attend the local primary school on the same road as the kindergarten.

Haumoana School principal Marty Hantz said counselling would be offered to any children who wanted it, on their return from the school holidays.

"At this stage, there's nothing that we can say," said Mr Hantz.

"We will be offering that to the children and we're basically going to be here for them."