A private funeral service for Verity McLean will be held in Invercargill next week.
Her family wishes this to be a private event, and respectfully ask that media do not attend or take photographs of mourners.
The family are considering a further memorial service at some point in the future to celebrate Verity’s life, which may include the community. However no date has been set at this time, and any details will be communicated once they have been finalised.
The Police investigation into the events of Tuesday night will continue over the weekend. This includes ongoing scene examinations, forensic analysis and witness interviews.
The second victim remains in Southland Hospital in a stable condition, as does the defendant.
Southern District Commander Superintendent Paul Basham says Police have been particularly touched this week by the reaction of the community:
“I would like to express my deep appreciation for the support shown to Invercargill police both from the local community and beyond. This means so much to our staff. We are acutely aware of the impact an event like this has across the community, of which we are a part. It is at times like this that our community really shows its strength.
“Our focus in the coming days will be to continue supporting all the families impacted by this tragedy, ensuring a meticulous, impartial investigation continues, and supporting our own staff who have been affected.” said Mr Basham.
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Media please note at this time we do not anticipate having any further updates to give over the weekend unless there are any significant developments.
Issued by Police Media Centre