Latest news with #StrikeForceDarnum
NZ Herald
10-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Kathleen Joyce Heggs appears at Parramatta court on murder charges
The parents of two boys who were allegedly killed in Coonabarabran this week paid tribute to their sons, just as the police announced the murder charges against Heggs. 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.
Otago Daily Times
05-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Grandmother arrested after two young boys found dead
Two young boys have been found dead at a home in a small Australian town, and police have arrested a woman believed to be their grandmother. Officers visited the property at Coonabarabran, in New South Wales' central west, at 2pm on Monday, following reports of a concern for their welfare. The boys, aged six and seven, were found dead. A 66-year-old woman, who police said was known to the children, was arrested at the property. The woman, reportedly the boys' grandmother, was taken to hospital for further assessment where she remains under police guard. The deaths are being investigated under Strike Force Darnum, assisted by detectives from State Crime Command's Homicide Squad. Premier Chris Minns described the discovery of the boys' bodies as heartbreaking. "What has occurred is terrible and as a state we share in the community of Coonabarabran's grief at the loss of two young boys who had their entire futures ahead of them," he said. "I can not begin to imagine the heartbreak their loved ones are currently feeling, including their family, friends, and teachers."
