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A pensioner may have been dead for weeks before his body was found at his home during the coronavirus lockdown. Blair Ensor reports on a case that the police say is a “sad reminder” of the need to monitor neighbors.
From her bedroom window at night, Makere Hubbard often saw a light on in the house across the street.
Hubbard, a mother of three, had never met the woman who lived on the Kāinga Ora (formerly New Zealand Housing) property on Hooker Ave, Christchurch, but knew that she was there alone.
After Covid-19 closure restrictions were imposed on March 24, there were no signs of life in the red brick bungalow.
THINGS
Makere Hubbard with daughter Eva. Hubbard reported concerns about her neighbor, who was found dead in her home. You feel guilty for not having raised the alarm earlier.
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The lights were never on, two doors were left open, and on trash days, no containers were left outside for collection.
Hubbard, 33, thought the woman, Diane Tainui, in her 60s, may have gone to stay with the family.
However, as the blockade progressed, he couldn’t help feeling that something was wrong.
On Sunday, she contacted police through her website and asked if officers could stop by the house and do a wellness checkup.
It wasn’t long before a patrol pulled up on the other side of the road. As more police arrived and the property was recorded, it became clear that something bad had happened.
THINGS
Makere Hubbard couldn’t find any flowers to leave outside Diane Tainui’s house, so her children drew pictures and hung them on the fence.
Tainui was dead.
Things She understands that she had suffered a medical event, although the police have not confirmed it.
The condition of her body suggested that she had been dead for fifteen days or more.
On Wednesday, Hubbard said he burst into tears when he learned that his neighbor had died.
“I screamed my eyes. I felt so guilty. I should have checked it sooner. The police asked me if I had been there and I said, ‘No, I don’t want to break the lockup. I don’t want to get in trouble.’
She urged people to see their neighbors “young or old, especially if they live alone.”
“It sucks that she had to go through that alone.”
THINGS
Makere Hubbard is locked up with her children on Hooker Ave, Christchurch. In the photo with Hubbard, from the left, are Lucas 12, Eva, 5 and Charlie, 13.
Hooker Ave residents knew her as a quiet woman who occasionally walked to the store to pick up supplies.
He appeared to have many cats, earning him the nickname “The Lady of the Cat”.
Since Tainui’s death, Debs Murch, who lives in several houses on the street, has placed flowers on his door.
Like Hubbard, she also felt guilty for not raising the alarm, having noticed that Tainui’s routine had changed.
“I just wish I had acted earlier.”
Hubbard couldn’t find any flowers, so his children drew colorful pictures with messages and hung them on the fence.
One reads: “Rest in love.”
John Kirk-Anderson / Things
Sergeant Major Roy Appley says people should not be afraid to contact police if they are concerned about a neighbor’s well-being.
Sergeant Major Roy Appley said Tainui’s death was a “sad reminder” of the need to control neighbors during the lockdown.
“If you are concerned about something unusual … your intuition about something is probably correct. Let us know.”
Police used to respond quickly to reports of concern about a person’s well-being because “we have a chance to save a life,” he said.
“We would take a neighbor’s feeling about something like almost a gospel.”
Appley said that people could see a neighbor knocking on their door while observing social distancing.
“You can … talk to them through a door or a window, you’re not going to get [Covid-19] doing that.”
Incidents in which people died and their bodies were not discovered for weeks were rare.
However, he was concerned that other cases such as that of Tainui would arise when the blocking restrictions were lifted.
“If people feel like they are alone without support, contact the police, if that’s the only option, and we’ll make sure we have a guardian to monitor you.”
Canterbury Chief Executive Simon Templeton said Tainui’s death was “very, very sad.”
“It just shows how important it is that we get to know our neighbors.”
Templeton echoed many of Appley’s comments. People were able to contact the organization if they had any concerns.
Since the blockade began, Age Concern Canterbury had received more than 400 calls from people concerned about themselves, their family or their neighbors, he said.
Kāinga Ora area manager Fraser Benson said he was unable to comment on the Hooker Ave lease while the police investigation was ongoing.
During the shutdown, agency staff were not allowed to visit state homes to conduct wellness checks, but they contacted all tenants by phone to make sure they were okay.
Attempts to contact Tainui’s family were unsuccessful.
