The New Zealand police are investigating after a family discovered human remains in bags they bought at auction from a storage facility.
The residents of a property in South Auckland discovered the gruesome discovery while unloading their new purchases.
The police have initiated a homicide investigation and are attempting to identify the victim’s remains.
It is thought that the family was not involved in the tragedy.
Last Thursday, the family reportedly visited the storage unit and purchased a trailer-load of goods, including the luggage, from a local storage company.
Detective inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua said the discovery was found after the residents returned the property to their residence.
According to Stuff, several neighbors of the household noticed a foul odor emerging from the residence before police arrived.
One neighbor, a former cremation employee, reported that the odor was readily recognizable.
“I immediately recognized it and wondered where it was coming from,” he added, referring to the residents’ property.
Another neighbor reported that her son witnessed a suitcase being unloaded from a trailer and placed inside a forensic tent that had been constructed on the property.
As police conducted their investigations, a trailer was placed on the front driveway of the suburban Clendon Park home, as seen on video by the New Zealand news outlet Stuff.
Officials from the police department have stated that their top aim is to “confirm the identity of the dead so that we can determine the full circumstances surrounding the discovery.”
They stated that due to the “nature of the discovery,” it will take time to notify the next of kin.
