A post-mortem examination is being held in Auckland today to establish the cause of death of 47-year-old Katrina Rose Drummond, whose body was found in a bedroom in her Taupo home on Tuesday afternoon.
Martin Cranswick Schofield, 49, has been charged with her murder and is to re-appear in court next month.
Support for Ms Drummond's family has poured in, and her daughter Zara Schofield yesterday thanked the many people who had posted messages of love and condolences on her Facebook page.
Zara and another daughter Lana Schofield have also changed their profile pictures to photographs with their mother, who has been described as a "sweet, happy, joyful person".
Seven years earlier, Zara Schofield had already endured the trauma of being viciously attacked by Jahche Broughton less than a fortnight before the then 14-year-old murdered Scottish tourist Karen Aim.
Ms Schofield had been walking home from a party when Broughton hit her repeatedly about the head with a rock, inflicting serious brain injuries.
She could not be reached for comment, while other family members have declined to comment.
Jill Proudfoot, client services director at national anti-violence organisation Shine, said such cases always made her consider the children, whose lives were "changed forever" by domestic violence.
"I always think of the children the most, because they have just lost everything."
She described the tragedy as "completely unacceptable" and a "terrible, terrible stain on the community".
Yet the occurrence was more common than most New Zealanders might think.
About half of all homicides in New Zealand are related to family violence, and on average 14 women are killed by a member of their family each year.
According to police statistics, about 84 per cent of those arrested for family violence are men.
Around 78 per cent of "partner homicides" in New Zealand involved men killing their current or former partner.
"With deaths like this, there is a great outcry, and sadness and horror, for a short time, but then everything just settles back to normal and the outrage doesn't last," Ms Proudfoot said.
"As long as we still accept any form of violence in our society, and there isn't a disapproval of violence country-wide, it will be really, really hard to stop it."
The Herald today earlier revealed a hammer had been found nearby Ms Drummond's body, shortly after Schofield walked up to the Taupo police station on Tuesday afternoon to report that an "incident" had taken place.
Ms Drummond and Schofield are listed in property records as co-owners of the Elizabeth Street home where she lived with other family members.
It is unclear whether they were back in a relationship at the time of Ms Drummond's death.
Yesterday, Ms Drummond's workmates at Millennium Hotel and Resort, where she worked as a cleaner, were left shocked when news of her death emerged.
"I have some very, very upset staff," general manager Diane Kerins said.
The staff had had "nothing but respect" for Ms Drummond, she said.
"We're all devastated. It's very sad that this should happen to such a sweet, happy, joyful person to work with. She didn't have a mean bone in her body. We only saw kindness from her."
Neighbours told the Herald they heard nothing to indicate anything untoward was happening on Tuesday afternoon and were shocked to see police cars arrive.
One neighbour, who asked not to be named, had known Ms Drummond since the pair sat together in English class at Tauhara College, and described her as a "lovely lady".
The two often talked about their cats as well as Zara and Ms Drummond's other daughters, Lana and Casey.
"I saw her quite regularly as she would be getting in the car to work, and we'd always say hi."
Another neighbour who knew Ms Drummond said her thoughts were with her three daughters.
"I just feel incredibly saddened by the situation and the impact that's going to follow, especially on her children, but also extended family. They lose more than once."
The neighbour was at work on Tuesday evening but knew something was wrong when she came home to find police and an ambulance parked in the street, and security staff stationed overnight.
But it was not until she checked the news the next morning that she realised Ms Drummond was dead.
"I just felt sick in the guts, angry and distressed."
By Jamie Morton of the New Zealand Herald
