Town to band together after shock killing of two boys
Stephanie Gardiner |
A rural town is being urged to stay strong as shattered residents come to grips with the “incomprehensible” killing of two young boys.
The bodies of the boys, aged six and seven, were found in a farm house on Emu Lane, Coonabarabran, in north-west NSW, on Monday afternoon.
Their maternal grandmother, who was their sole carer, had attempted self-harm and was immediately arrested.
The 66-year-old was being cared for in a mental health facility in Orange on Tuesday night, while NSW Police detectives interviewed locals and anticipated pressing charges.
Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland said the children’s deaths were being treated as a double murder.
“Death in a small community has an impact on the whole community,” Mr Holland told reporters outside Coonabarabran police station on Tuesday.
“The deaths of two young, innocent boys has a major impact.”
Mr Holland said the killing of two children was “incomprehensible” and the town of 2,300 would have to work to cope with the tragedy.
“The town needs to band together now and understand this has happened,” he said.
“They need to make a concerted effort to get back.”
Two junior police officers went to the home, about 10km from the centre of the farming town, after a message sent to the communities and justice department triggered an emergency response.
They broke into the home to find the younger child’s body in the front bedroom, the older boy in another room, while their grandmother was nearby after trying to harm herself.
The killings did not involve weapons and post-mortem examinations were due to be carried out on Thursday to confirm the cause of their deaths.
The family moved from the NSW central coast to the quiet rural estate about 11 months ago.
The boys had been placed in the care of their grandmother by the department after concern for them, Mr Holland said.
He said the actions of the police officers were “heroic”.
“I would like to really commend the young officers involved,” Mr Holland said, adding one had already returned to work.
“The scene would have been confronting.”
Warrumbungle Shire councillor Kodi Brady described the boys as “firecrackers”.
“They were amongst it all, 100 miles an hour, involved in soccer, karate, wild as march hares and cute as buttons!’ Mr Brady wrote on Facebook.
Police remained at the house late on Tuesday, with the entry to the driveway cordoned off.
A rescue van was parked on the property as forensic officers looked through the contents of a shed.
The grandmother is expected to be charged upon her release from hospital, which could be in coming days or weeks.
AAP
