Father of two children found dead in suitcase died of cancer years before

Police are searching for the children’s mother who is believed to have fled to South Korea

The father of two children found dead in unclaimed suitcases won at auction died from cancer before his wife left for South Korea, it has been revealed.

The boy and girl were thought to be aged between five and 10-years-old when they died four years before being found on 11 August in Auckland, New Zealand.

Items found within the cases are being studied in an attempt to identify them. The remains were found when a family in South Auckland opened the suitcases at home after buying them last week.

The family who opened the suitcases are not under suspicion.

The children were concealed in two suitcases of similar size, detective inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua said.

“The nature of this discovery provides some complexities to the investigation especially given the time lapsed between the time of death and the time of discovery,” he added.

New Zealand and South Korean police are now searching for the mother of the children after discovering the father of the pair died from cancer in 2017. She is currently listed as missing, but it's thought she flew to the Asian country back in 2018 around the time it is thought the children died.

Detectives have now revealed that up to a year before she flew to South Korea, her husband, the children's father, died from cancer.

Police have confirmed they know the identity of the children but haven't released any details due to legal reasons.

A view of a police cordon at the scene where suitcases with the remains of two children were found, (via REUTERS)

Mr Vaaelua said the coroner issued an interim non-publication order at the request of their family. He said: “This order suppresses the names of the children and their relatives and evidence that may lead to the identification of the two victims.

“Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the children.”

On 18 August, Mr Vaaelua said the children may have been inside the suitcases for between three and four years. He said police had reasons to believe the children have family in New Zealand that have not yet been identified.

“The investigation team is working very hard to hold accountable the person or persons responsible for the death of these children,” Mr Vaaelua added.

“We've commenced enquiries with overseas agencies. I cannot state any further than that.”

He added that CCTV would be analysed but admitted police faced a massive challenge after the length of time the bodies had been in storage.