Helena Wright, who is suspected of committing a double murder-suicide, visited a police station the day before the tragedy.
South Australian police have revealed that Helena Wright, who is suspected of committing a double murder-suicide, visited a police station the day before the tragedy, recovering the bodies of Wright, 36, and her 23-month-old daughter from the sea on Monday, which began the search for her missing 3-month-old son.
South Australia Police can confirm Helena Wright attended the Mount Gambier Police Station on Sunday 26 July where she spoke with police.
The next morning brought the first sign of urgency.
In the hours before Helena Wright’s body was pulled from the waters off South Australia’s Limestone Coast, police received a call from her friend. The details of that call are not publicly known, but it was enough to prompt a welfare check at the 36-year-old’s Compton home, on the outskirts of Mount Gambier. The call came at 9.28am on Monday, and when police knocked shortly after, no one answered the door.
No one was home. Less than two hours later, reports from the public led police to find a vehicle parked on a clifftop at Cape Northumberland, near Port Macdonnell, a 30-minute drive from Wright’s home. The vehicle was empty, but its engine was still running.
Then, in the treacherous waters below South Australia’s southernmost point, police and local fishermen found Wright’s body, and the body of her 23-month-old daughter.
Her three-month-old son remained missing.
Wright was originally from Estonia and had been living in Compton, a small locality outside Mount Gambier about 26km north of Port MacDonnell.
Police have spoken to the woman’s husband, the father of the children, and say the deaths are being treated as a suspected murder-suicide.
The community that knew her struggled to process the tragedy.
People close to her had been aware that she was experiencing mental health challenges, although neighbours said she came across as a “great mother”.
Neighbours told the Adelaide-based Advertiser that the family largely kept to themselves but were friendly and known for lending a hand when needed. They described Wright as “bubbly”, saying she enjoyed gardening and often shared light-hearted exchanges with other residents.
Wright was described as a stay-at-home mother who enjoyed sewing clothes for children.
They’re very religious … they go to the church every Sunday.
Authorities focused their efforts on finding the missing infant.
On Wednesday afternoon, police called off a three-day search of land and sea for Wright’s three-month-old son, who also vanished on Monday. “Based on expert advice and available information, the infant could not have survived the period of time that has elapsed, either in the water or on land,” a SA Police spokesperson said.
The reality is, after three days, the chances of finding the baby alive are zero,” Superintendent Trent Cox said on Wednesday.
Police outlined the emotional toll on searchers.
“I’m not aware of anything that I can release to you about the mother’s mental state or her personal medical issues. “The investigation of any death is very delicate, but when it involves children as young as 23 months and three months, it adds another layer of complexity, but also trauma for those who are involved.
A police official spoke directly to those who had searched.
He said he told the search crew to “look after yourselves, look after your loved ones”. “Give your kids an extra tight hug,” Superintendent Cox said.
The incident has now moved into formal legal proceedings.
“As this matter is now subject to a coronial investigation, SAPOL will provide all relevant information and evidence to the coroner.”
In the viral moment from the Mount Gambier Police Station visit on Sunday,
Helena Wright attended the Mount Gambier Police Station on Sunday 26 July where she spoke with police.
The specifics of what Wright told officers that day remain sealed as part of the coronial investigation. Police did not immediately disclose details about the conversation or what prompted her visit to the station. This contact became pivotal once authorities learned of the deaths, as all interactions would form part of the evidence the coroner would examine.
The following morning’s welfare check was triggered when
it was enough to prompt a welfare check at the 36-year-old’s Compton home, on the outskirts of Mount Gambier.
The officer’s arrival at an empty residence set off a desperate race against time. Within ninety minutes, the abandoned vehicle at Cape Northumberland would signal the tragedy that had unfolded.
A coronial investigation is now underway into the deaths.