"Investigation update - three people found deceased at property in Kinohaku, Waikato "
To be attributed to Acting Superintendent Naila Hassan, Acting District Commander, Waikato Police
Investigations continue this afternoon at the rural property where three people were found dead last night, in the
Waikato town of Kinohaku.
Police were called to the residential address just after 7o’clock, after a visitor to the property made the discovery.
Police believe one of the three people is wanted man Ross Bremner, who had been the subject of a Police search since
Tuesday night.
His silver Holden Vectra car was found at the address.
An elderly couple who lived at the address are the two victims.
Their names are expected to be released later today.
Police do not know whether they knew Ross Bremner or why he has gone to their home.
It is possible that they did not know him at all.
Detectives and ESR forensic specialists are continuing a scene examination, however it would appear that all three
people have been deceased for a number of days.
Detectives are working to build a full timeline of the events and circumstances that have occurred since Tuesday night.
The search for Ross Bremner had been underway since around 8.30pm on Tuesday night, when Police were called to a
residential Otorohanga address.
Clare Bremner was found deceased and her husband Keith was critically wounded.
Based on the evidence gathered to this point, Police believe Mr and Mrs Bremner were attacked before 6.15pm on Tuesday
night, at least two hours before they were discovered and the alarm was raised at 8.15pm.
Ross Bremner was not there when emergency services arrived.
Information gathered by Police that evening resulted in Police immediately locating and removing other family members to
places of safety.
Ross Bremner’s cellphone was at the Otorohanga address and this avenue of enquiry was of little assistance to the
search.
Ross Bremner was not believed to have any access to money and had very few associates.
There was no information available to Police to indicate where he would go.
The silver Holden Vectra car he was believed to be driving was flagged throughout the Police system and mobile Police
patrols were tasked to search the King Country area that night.
The search was primarily based in Otorohanga, but with very little information to suggest where he would go, alerts and
information about the hunt for Ross Bremner were circulated to Police throughout the upper and lower North Island.
More than 15 properties across the Te Awamutu, Pirongia and Otorohanga areas were searched on Wednesday morning and
early afternoon, with the assistance of the AOS.
Officers also made several enquiries with the three local camping grounds at Kawhia on Wednesday.
There were no sightings of Ross Bremner or the car.
At around 5pm on Wednesday, AOS searched a farm in Aria.
This included the use of helicopters to check for any sightings of the vehicle.
Several hours later, a member of the public reported seeing a man that fitted his description in the Otorohanga area.
AOS were deployed and found the man, however it was not Ross Bremner.
Further sightings also proved negative.
On Thursday and Friday Police continued the search, this included searching properties in Arapuni in south Waikato,
Ohope Beach and Cambridge.
A sighting of a man fitting the description in Mt Maunganui, Tauranga was also pursued.
Police also made enquiries into fresh skid marks on the road to Aria, after local council workers reported that they
appeared to be new.
These also proved to be negative.
Establishing the timeline of events that took place, including the route that Ross Bremner took in the silver Holden
Vectra is a key priority for the investigation team.
Very few sightings of the Holden have been received and Police would like to hear from anyone who saw the silver Holden
Vectra anytime after Tuesday night.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Operation Arctic team on 07 858 6200.
This is a tragic outcome and we acknowledge the sense of shock this has brought to several close-knit Waikato
communities.
We are working to support the whanau of the victims and are doing everything possible to assist them at this time.
ENDS