Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:00a.m.
Police said formal identification of the bodies and cause of death may take several days, but further charges were likely
The recovery of two bodies from beneath a Christchurch house is slow going, police say.
The bodies of two women, one believed to be Tisha Lowry, were discovered yesterday beneath the floor of a house in Wainoni.
The second body was thought to be a 35-year-old woman who lived at the address.
Her 32-year-old husband, who reported her missing last weekend, has been charged with her murder.
Detective Inspector Tom Fitzgerald said police were building a profile of the couple, who had children, with a team of 26 officers plus specialist staff and scientists assigned to the inquiry.
Police have said formal identification of the bodies and a cause of death may take several days, but further charges were likely.
Mr Fitzgerald said police may be able to remove one body today, but the other may remain until Monday.
"There is limited room, perhaps 50cm, under the floor, so before we can get to the bodies we have to dismantle part of the house," Mr Fitzgerald said.
"We have to thoroughly examine those areas before we do that."
Residents of an attached house were still living at the property .
The accused man appeared in Christchurch District Court yesterday where the name of him and his dead wife were suppressed.
He was remanded in custody without plea to reappear next Friday.
Ms Lowry, 29, was last seen by her grandfather when she waved goodbye to him at the Bower Tavern in suburban New Brighton on September 25 last year.
She had lived two doors down from the house where the bodies were found.
Police spoke with more than 3000 people in their search for Ms Lowry, including the accused, but had no reason to suspect him at that time, Mr Fitzgerald said.
NZPA
