Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua, Counties Manukau District Crime Manager:

Police continue to investigate the discovery of human remains in Manurewa on Thursday 11 August.

A homicide investigation has been underway after the occupants of the Moncrieff Avenue property brought unowned property back to their address.

Our priority remains on confirming the identification of the deceased and results of further examinations and tests are still pending.

We appreciate there are a number of questions surrounding the circumstances of what has occurred and Police can reassure the public that our investigation is continuing to piece together the facts.

However, the very nature of this discovery means this is a complex investigation – and it will take time. Police reiterate that speculation is not helpful to our overall investigation.

No matter the time frame, the public can continue to be reassured that Police are committed to holding the person, or persons, responsible to account.

As we have said previously, the occupants of the address are not involved in the incident.

Police continue to ask media, on behalf of the occupants, to respect their privacy at this time. They have repeatedly expressed to us that the attention has caused them undue stress and they do not wish to speak with media.

We know any incident like this is incredibly unsettling for the community and we want people to know they can make contact with us if they have any concerns.

Police will provide an update when appropriate, but it is imperative we provide accurate information.

For that reason, we again stress the flow of information into the public arena via media needs to be accurate and responsible.

Any errors in this space may compromise the investigation and may hinder the ability to hold person or persons to account.

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