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Tisha Lowry - Source: ONE News -
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Tisha Lowry will be back with her family in Christchurch on
Thursday, nearly a year after she first went missing.
Police have confirmed the 28-year-old was one of the two women
found buried under the floorboards at a Wainoni
house.
Lowry lived two doors from the house under which the bodies were found.
Her body was removed from the house on Monday night and a post-mortem was carried out on Tuesday.
Police Operation Lowry began at Lowry's house when she first disappeared last September.
On Wednesday her missing persons file officially became a murder enquiry. After five days of intense speculation, Detective Inspector Tom Fitzgerald confirmed at a media conference that the second body taken from the scene is that of Tisha Cecelia Lowry.
And as the media conference went on, for those who lived at her house and knew her, the reality hit home.
"Obviously this is a tragic conclusion for the family that's
waited nearly a year now for some information about their daughter,
granddaughter, sister and friend. There is some closure now
obviously," says Fitzgerald.
Police had to use dental records to confirm it was Tisha Lowry but
will not yet say how she died. Fitzgerald says police know how the
women died, but are not yet releasing that information.
They told Lowry's family on Wednesday morning, who then issued a statement.
"The family's pleased to have closure now and sincerely thank the police and the volunteers who helped when Tisha went missing and for all their hard work to date," says Maggie Leask of Christchurch police.
"Most importantly they say thanks for all the love and support received from our family and friends."
A 32-year-old man is already accused of killing his 35-year-old wife at the house and police say he will now be charged with Tisha Lowry's murder when he reappears in the Christchurch District Court on Friday. The name of the accused man and his wife have been suppressed by the court.
Local resident Rhonda Rex says the local community is angry and
hurt by the incident.
"It's really hurting. People are really grieved and feel very
emotional inside, angry, hurt," she says.
Another resident, Shane clark, says there is now "a bit of
closure" for those affected.
But there is a lot of work still for detectives, scouring the
property for clues as to what might have happened in the home last
Sunday when one woman died and a year ago when another went
missing.
The bodies of both women will be returned to their families on Thursday.
A tangi for Tisha Lowry is expected later this week.
Meanwhile, a Christchurch City Councillor says the council needs
more information before it decides whether or not to
buy the house .
Mayor Bob Parker wants the council to purchase the Wainoni property so it won't be burnt down.
Councillor Gail Sheriff who also represents the area the house is located in, says councillors need to look at what the value of the property is and what they might do with it.
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