http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/423466/953938

One News
January 8 2007; 18:47

Intruder ruled out in Chch homicide

A homicide investigation continues in Christchurch as police try to discover how and why a 10-year-old girl died.

Charlene Makaza was rushed to hospital on Saturday morning by her caregivers after she was found unconscious in bed.

She died in the early hours of Sunday morning without regaining consciousness. It is suspected she died from suffocation.

Four adults and one child in the house on Friday night have been questioned but Detective Inspector Malcolm Johnston says there is no sign family members are stonewalling their investigation.

He says they have been exceptionally co-operative but they do not know what happened.

"She's been suffocated by another person that's what the pathologist has reported back to us," Johnston says.

Police are not commenting on any other injuries or if there was evidence of an indecent assault.

"There's so many things we are still yet to establish - we simply don't know, it's too early in the inquiry, I don't want to go anywhere else at this stage," he says.

On Sunday forensic investigators looked for fingerprints outside a first floor window to see whether someone had broken into the home.

Johnston says after an extensive scene examination, there is no evidence to suggest someone broke in.

Apart from interviewing members of Makaza's extended family, police have been carrying out further tests on her body and hope to have more results by Tuesday.

Scene investigations at the girl's home will continue over the next few days.

Bryndwr resident and neighbour Gavin Caldwell says the family were a normal, quiet family.

The young girl and her 12-year-old sister were orphans.  They were adopted and have been living in Christchurch with their uncle and auntie and their two adult children for the past two years.

"They were very lovely people - very polite, well educated, very well dressed.  They just were really, really nice people," neighbour Belinda Wallace says.

And school friends say Makaza always fitted in.

"She said she liked New Zealand better than Zimbabwe 'cause they had more stuff for her to do," school friend Karanimita Sweet says.

Other neighbours are now worried for the safety of their own families