Kathleen Joyce Heggs appears at Parramatta court on murder charges
Samantha Heggs and Troy Johnson told Nine News that brothers Max, 7, and Sam, 6, were extremely close and adored each other.
Nine reported the parents had lost custody of their sons, who were removed by the Department of Communities and Justice about four years ago.
Johnson said Max was never sick and was always happy and healthy.
'He was the happiest little kid. He never cried, even as a baby he didn't cry,' he said.
'[Sam's] the toughest little kid I've met, the way he went through the pain, the way he beat that cancer, he's my hero.'
A candlelit vigil was held in memory of two boys whose bodies were found in a home in regional northwest New South Wales.
Max and Sam were found inside a home in Coonabarabran by police conducting a welfare check on Monday.
Heggs was arrested at the scene and taken to a mental health facility in Orange.
Police believe the grandmother 'attempted to self-harm' before she was arrested and taken to hospital.
A crime scene has been established and officers attached to Orana Mid-Western Police District have commenced an investigation under Strike Force Darnum, assisted by detectives from State Crime Command's Homicide Squad.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
3 days ago
- Scoop
Multiple Breaches Of Tauranga Liquor Store Sales To Underage Teenagers
A prominent supermarket, bottle shops and grocery stores were among eight Tauranga off-license premises found to be selling alcohol to underage teenagers aged between 15 and 17 years. The most recent controlled purchase operation conducted by the Tauranga City Council Alcohol Licensing Team and a Tauranga Police Alcohol Harm Prevention Co-ordinator has revealed serious breaches of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act. Forty-six off-license premises were visited on Saturday 9 August under the supervision of police and Alcohol Licensing Inspectors. Tauranga City Council Alcohol Licensing Team Leader Sam Kemp says alarmingly, eight of these establishments sold alcohol without verifying the purchaser's age or requesting any form of identification. 'When questioned by Alcohol Licensing Inspectors, the duty managers admitted they had not verified the minor's age or in some cases not requested appropriate identification and instead, they completed the sale and allowed the purchase to proceed,' Sam says. This latest operation follows a similar one conducted in March of this year, during which eight licensed premises also failed to comply. 'The continued non-compliance highlights serious shortcomings in the in-store training and policies of some premises. Selling alcohol to minors is a serious offence, and we will continue to take firm action to ensure public safety and uphold the law,' Sam says. As a result, Tauranga Alcohol Licensing Inspectors and Police will be submitting suspension applications to the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority. These applications will target both the duty managers who were on duty at the time of the breaches and the off-licences of the non-compliant premises
RNZ News
18-07-2025
- RNZ News
Child exploitation and beastiality material allegedly found on former top cop's work devices
It can now be revealed child exploitation and beastiality material were allegedly found on former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming's work devices. McSkimming resigned as the country's second most powerful cop in May amid separate investigations by the Independent Police Conduct Authority and police. National Crime Correspondent Sam Sherwood spoke to Melissa Chan-Green. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
1News
14-07-2025
- 1News
Rescued backpacker reveals why she abandoned van in Australian outback
A German backpacker who spent 10 nights lost in the outback says she abandoned her bogged van in a state of confusion after hitting her head. Carolina Wilga was found on Friday afternoon by a motorist, after last being seen on June 29 in the Western Australian town of Beacon, about 300km northeast of Perth. The 26-year-old remains in hospital after suffering cuts, bruises, dehydration and fatigue during her near two-week ordeal in remote bushland, where overnight temperatures fell to almost zero. Wilga has thanked her rescuers and explained why she left her Mitsubishi van which police found about 35km from a main track in a dense bush nature reserve. "Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food and clothing there," she said in a statement issued by WA Police today. ADVERTISEMENT "The answer is: I lost control of the car and rolled down a slope. In the crash, I hit my head significantly. "As a result of the accident, I left my car in a state of confusion and got lost." New images of Carolina Wilga's bogged van on Friday showed just how badly bogged and remote it was when the backpacker decided to abandon it. (Source: Nine) Wilga thanked the motorist who found her, describing the woman named Tania as a "rescuer and angel". She thanked police, the people who searched for her, the German Consulate and medical staff "who took care of me with so much compassion". "Western Australia has taught me what it really means to be part of a true community," she said. She believes she survived because of an "incredible outpouring of support". ADVERTISEMENT "The thought of all the people who believed in me, searched for me, and kept hoping for me gave me the strength to carry on during my darkest moments," she said. "For this, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart." Police previously said Wilga spent just one night with her van after it got bogged in the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve bushland. She followed the sun and walked 24km west, thinking that would be her best bet of finding a road. She had minimal food and water and was in the elements for 11 nights.
