Stuff Digital Edition

Baby’s death prompts homicide investigation

Sam Sherwood and Blair Jackson

A 4-month-old baby died in her mother’s arms four days after suffering critical injuries at her Invercargill home.

Hope Elizabeth Wallis McFallSchultz was taken to Southland Hospital in the early morning of January 22 before being flown to Starship children’s hospital in Auckland, where she died on

Wednesday night. A homicide investigation is under way, with police working to determine how she received her injuries.

Hope’s mother, Brittany McFall-Schultz, told Stuff she went out on Friday evening and left the 4-month-old at her Elizabeth St home with another adult.

About 15 minutes later, she received a phone call from a friend who said she needed to get to the hospital.

McFall-Schultz and her father went to Starship with Hope.

The baby died in her arms on Wednesday night.

Hope was born at 27.5 weeks, and the complications from her birth resulted in McFall-Schultz being told she could not have any more children.

McFall-Schultz described her baby as a fighter .

‘‘I was with her every step of the way.’’

Hope was ‘‘precious’’, she said. ‘‘We all loved her so much.’’

Her mother, Sharon Schultz, said Hope was ‘‘beautiful, just like a wee angel’’. ‘‘She was giggling and making funny noises and trying to roll over and things like that.

‘‘She had a rough time when she was born, and we’re not going to be able to play with her, do anything like that.’’

She was trying to hold it together for the rest of the family.

‘‘I’ve got to be strong for everybody else.’’

Schultz said the family did not know how Hope suffered her injuries.

‘‘I can’t wrap my brain around it,’’ Schultz said.

A police spokesperson said officers were continuing to speak with residents of the house.

‘‘The residents ... are assisting police with their inquiries and at this stage nobody else is being sought in relation to this matter,’’ a spokesperson said on Tuesday.

A neighbour said he had seen a huge police presence at the house since Saturday.

He was shocked and upset to hear the baby had died.

The mother was ‘‘quite stoked’’ to be having a baby, he said.

‘‘It is pretty sad to be honest.’’ Hannah Tacbaya and Nel Belza moved next door to McFallSchultz and Hope last Friday.

The couple said they heard yelling about 11pm on Friday, but thought it was people walking down the street. ‘‘We didn’t expect it to be like this ... it’s just pretty sad,’’ said Tacbaya.

The death was shocking and concerning for the neighbourhood, she said.

National News

en-nz

2022-01-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-01-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://stuff.pressreader.com/article/281590948952932

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