The family of a woman who was shot dead by an escaped prisoner in the Cook Islands are still waiting for her body to be released.
Police are yet to release the body of Mary Dean who was killed last Thursday. Photo: RNZI / Sally Round
Mary Dean and her partner Roger Tauarea were killed by escaped prisoner Chris Rimamotu - the former partner of Ms Dean - who was serving a seven-year sentence for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a young girl.
Chris Rimamotu and his home. Photo: Supplied
Rimamotu escaped a police guard who had taken him to collect gardening tools from his container, located near the victims' home.
Our correspondent Florence Syme-Buchanan said Ms Dean's family have now arrived from Melbourne, but police have not told them when her body will be released.
"So that the family can start making arrangements for her to be returned to Tokoroa where she was born and to be buried next to her parents, but police won't even tell them when the body will be released so they are very distressed and quite angry," she said.
A prison guard confirmed Ms Dean visited Rimamotu in prison the day before the attack Ms Syme-Buchanan.