A man who died at a Palmerston North address last night had been horrifically burned and a critically injured woman was stabbed in the face and body, police have revealed.
The Russell Street house is occupied by a large family of Chinese descent, The deceased man, in his late 60s, and the injured woman aged in her mid 30s, are members of the same family. It is believed children were in the property at the time of the incident.
"The man has been badly burnt and one of our priorities today is removing his body from the scene so we can conduct a post-mortem," Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Sheridan, officer in charge of the Manawatu CIB, said.
"Because of the extensive burns it is likely to take considerable time to formally identify him."
"We have established that the woman has received stab wounds to her face and upper body and late yesterday evening she underwent surgery.
She is in a serious but non-life threatening condition. It is anticipated she will be in hospital for some time.
"Our focus over the next 48 hours is to conduct a thorough scene examination and to locate any weapons. Another key focus for us is determining the series of events that led up to this tragic incident and understanding the family dynamic."
A team of 10 officers are working on the scene today as well as conducting area inquiries and speaking to witnesses.
"At this stage we have not spoken to the injured woman as her well-being is paramount," Sheridan added. "This has been a horrific time for the family."
- By Russell Blackstock, Herald on Sunday
