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Police are making a fresh appeal to the public for information regarding two separate fires in relation to the death of Margaret “Terri” Fordham.
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Terri, 75, died following a fire that started at her residential property on Bridge Road Birchville, Upper Hutt shortly before 2am on 12 August 2021.
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Terri was asleep in her upstairs bedroom with her dog Daisy when the fire started. She woke during the blaze and was able to call for help.?
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Her neighbours attempted to rescue her using a ladder but were unable to reach her.?
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“Terri’s last act was to throw her dog Daisy to safety before she succumbed to the smoke,” Detective Sergeant Sam Mercer says.
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Two nights later, on 14 August, at about 3:30am, neighbours were again woken by a fire at the same address. This time the upstairs area was fully-involved and significant damage was caused. No one was in the house at the time of this fire.
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It’s important to note that during this time last year, the country was only days off from moving into a Level 4 nationwide lockdown.
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“As the anniversary of Terri’s death approaches we are renewing our appeal to the public for information,” Detective Sergeant Mercer says.?
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Police, along with specialist Fire Investigators from Fire and Emergency NZ, conducted a scene examination and area canvass after each of the fires. The cause of the first fire is as yet undetermined, however Police are treating the second fire as suspicious.?
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“We believe that a person or persons have entered the burnt-out property in the early hours of that Saturday morning and deliberately set fire to the second storey.”?
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“We are following up every possible line of inquiry to identify that person, but we need the help of the public who might hold important information.”?
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“That person might have talked to a family member or friend about the fires, or displayed some behaviour which causes concern.”?
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“This is a really tragic situation in which a much-loved mother and friend has lost her life,” Detective Sergeant Mercer says.?
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“We want help from the community to find some answers for Terri’s family.”?
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Police are encouraging anyone with information to contact them on 105, and quote the file number 210812/6583. If they wish to remain anonymous they can provide the information through Crime Stoppers by contacting 0800 555 111.?
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A statement from Terri’s son Kester:
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Terri was much loved by her family and friends.?
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She can be summed up by her last act, which was to throw her little dog Daisy to safety, even though she couldn’t save herself.
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We haven’t had a chance to mourn her properly, or move on and I still wake up and realise that it has actually happened, and it wasn’t a dream.
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Nothing is going to bring mum back, or fix it, but finding out what happened would help us understand why, rather than just being left wondering, doubting and questioning things.
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ENDS
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Issued by Police Media Centre.?
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