Photos have emerged of two young boys found dead in a home in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. Their mother remains in hospital under police guard with self-inflicted injuries.
The two boys, aged nine and 11, whose names cannot be released for legal reasons, were found at a house on Chapman Parade in Faulconbridge at around 12.40pm on Tuesday with suspected stab wounds.
Their 42-year-old mother was airlifted to Westmead Hospital in a stable condition after a Toll ambulance helicopter landed at nearby Springwood High School. She will be treated for cuts to her wrists.
“Officers were called to an address on Chapman Parade today in concerns for the welfare of a woman and two children,” Police Chief Karen Webb said on Tuesday afternoon.
‘Police arrived on the scene a short time later and discovered the bodies of two children – two boys, one aged nine and one aged eleven.
‘A woman has been taken to hospital. She is under police guard in the hospital and she has been arrested.
‘Police are not looking for any other individuals and Strikeforce Stafford has launched a thorough investigation.’
Photos on social media show the family beaming with joy as they pose for photos with Santa, enjoy the family holiday and explore the wilderness around the Blue Mountains.
Retired Detective Steve Ticehurst, who lives around the corner from the family, said they were beloved members of the close-knit community.
Pictured: The mother and two boys at the center of the tragedy
The family is depicted in happier times
A major police operation was launched in Faulconbridge after the bodies of two young boys were found in a house on Chapman Parade
The boys’ mother was taken to Westmead Hospital in Sydney with stab wounds
“They seemed like a very happy family, they’ve lived here for years, and you would never expect something like this to happen,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘They all came together to the local Christmas party and seemed like the perfect family.
‘The mother was known for taking walks in the area in the afternoon and we would always have a chat.
“There was never any indication that anything was wrong. I couldn’t say a bad word about them.”
Another neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, said the entire neighborhood was shocked by the incident.
“You always saw her walking through the streets with her dogs and out with her sons,” the local resident said.
‘They were nice young guys.
“You would never think something like this could happen here – it’s a quiet community.”
The children’s father, who is separated from their mother and did not live at the same address, called triple-0 when he visited the home and found the bodies of the boys and his former partner injured, the Sydney Morning Herald.
New South Wales police have established a crime scene at the home in the Blue Mountains and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
There is no ongoing threat to the community and police say they are not looking for anyone else.
It is believed that police have had no previous contact with her family. The woman’s mental health will be a key part of the investigation.
The mother’s mental health will be part of the police investigation
The bodies of two young boys, aged 9 and 11, were discovered in a home in Faulconbridge (pictured are emergency workers at the scene in western Sydney)
NSW Police said officers from the Blue Mountains Police Area Command are investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths and are being assisted by detectives from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad.
The 42-year-old mother of two was airlifted to Westmead Hospital in a stable condition
Emergency services were called to the property on Chapman Parade at around 12.40pm on Tuesday
Neighbor Barbara Faith said she regularly saw the two brothers returning from school on their bicycles.
“They had their helmets on and they did the right thing… I just thought they were nice kids,” Ms Faith told the ABC.
She said that shortly after noon there was a big commotion and that about 20 emergency services rushed through her street.
“It’s such a quiet neighborhood and quiet street that you don’t expect things like that,” she said.
“It’s so sad, I can’t believe this could happen anywhere, let alone on my street.”
More coming soon.