Seoul police say a woman believed to be related to two children whose remains were found in suitcases bought at an auction in New Zealand is in South Korea.
An official from the Korea National Police Agency confirmed today, Monday, “that the woman is in South Korea and that she is a New Zealand citizen of Korean descent.” He added that she arrived in the south in 2018 and has not left the country since that year.
“New Zealand Police are conducting this investigation and we intend to cooperate at their request,” the official added.
New Zealand police said last week they found the remains of two children, who were between five and 10 years old at the time of death, in two suitcases.
The bodies were discovered after the family bought a set of items at an abandoned property auction, including suitcases.
New Zealand police said the bodies were likely stored for several years, making it difficult to investigate the crime.
It is worth noting that the police have reviewed many hours of CCTV footage, but it is possible that key moments may be erased due to the long time between the death of the victims and the discovery of the bodies.
Both the vault and property were searched, as the bags were carefully seized by forensic experts.
New Zealand authorities confirmed last week that the family that found the bodies had nothing to do with the murder. Detective Inspector Tofilau Famanuja Valois said they received support at the time to help deal with the trauma.
Source: AFP.