Helena Wright visited Mount Gambier Police Station on July 26, one day before she and her 23-month-old daughter were found dead beneath coastal cliffs. Their bodies were recovered after an abandoned car was reported near Cape Northumberland with its engine running. Police have ended the formal search for the family's three-month-old son, saying experts concluded the infant could not have survived. Authorities are treating the deaths as a suspected murder-suicide and the case has been referred to the coroner.
Mother Visited Police Day Before She and Toddler Were Found Dead; Search For Missing Infant Called Off
Credit: Getty
Australian authorities say Helena Wright visited the Mount Gambier Police Station on Sunday, July 26 — one day before she and her 23-month-old daughter were found dead beneath coastal cliffs. Police have now ended the formal search for the family's three-month-old son after experts concluded the infant could not have survived the elapsed time.
Timeline And Investigation
Police say Wright, 36, attended the Mount Gambier station on Sunday and "spoke with police." A friend raised concerns the following morning, prompting officers to conduct a welfare check at the family's home around 9:30 a.m. on Monday, July 27, but no one was present.
Less than two hours later, members of the public reported an abandoned vehicle near Cape Northumberland with its engine still running. Emergency responders later recovered the bodies of Wright and her 23-month-old daughter from the ocean below nearby cliffs.
Credit: Shutterstock
Search For The Infant
Authorities launched a multi-agency search for the missing three-month-old, but announced on Wednesday that the formal search had been called off. South Australia Police said that, based on expert advice and the available information, the infant "couldn't have survived the period of time that has elapsed, either in the water or on land."
Superintendent Trent Cox said: 'The reality is, after three days, the chances of finding the baby alive are zero.'
Police noted that difficult weather conditions hampered search efforts, limiting vessel operations and shoreline and clifftop searches. Although the formal search has ended, authorities will continue coordinated shoreline monitoring and inspections in the coming days.
Ongoing Inquiries
Investigators are treating the incident as a suspected murder-suicide. Police have spoken with Wright's husband, the father of the children, and say there is no information suggesting the involvement of a third party. The matter has been referred to the coroner, who will investigate the cause and circumstances of the deaths.
Authorities continue to appeal for anyone with information to contact South Australia Police as enquiries continue.
Help us improve.
