A house in the suburb of Hillcrest in Hamilton where suspected human remains were found during excavation work on 18 June 2024. Photo: RNZ / Natalie Akoorie
Police say they have not yet established the identity of remains found during excavations at a house in Hamilton.
The remains were discovered at the Hillcrest house during an excavation for a pool in the backyard on Tuesday.
Police would continue a scene examination but believed the remains were human, senior sergeant Scott Neilson said.
He said an investigation was ongoing to establish the age, gender and identity of the remains.
"Once the examination is complete it will allow police to build a clearer picture of how and why the remains came to be in this location."
Neilson said the homeowners were assisting with the enquiry.
On Wednesday, police detectives and ESR (Institute of Environmental Science and Research) scientists descended on the house in a quiet cul-de-sac close to Hillcrest High School.
An excavator remained at the rear of the house and a light truck filled with dirt sat in the driveway.
Neighbour Masud Rahman said he had lived in the street for eight years and had never seen police there before.
It was usually a quiet neighbourhood but his teenage daughter had been scared to walk to school since the discovery, Rahman said.
"The police were sleeping here last night. It's not a normal situation here."
He did not know the homeowners and it appeared they were not at home.
A scene guard was in place on Tuesday night and police said Hillcrest residents should expect an increased police presence in the area.