Police file on Lachie Jones’ death remains open, says coroner

Wednesday, 10 June 2026

The body of 3-year-old Lachie Jones was found in Gore's wastewater ponds in January 2019.

A coronial inquiry into the death of Gore toddler Lachie Jones remains an “evolving process”, with the coroner confirming the police have not yet submitted their final report and investigation file.

In a minute issued late last week, Coroner Alexander Ho said the police file would only be submitted once all relevant lines of inquiry had been thoroughly exhausted, and he could issue further directives to police investigators.

“The police have not yet submitted a final report and investigation file,” the coroner said. “My expectation is that step will occur once I am satisfied that all relevant lines of inquiry have been undertaken to the extent possible.”

Coroner Ho said the point had not yet been reached where he considered it would be appropriate for the final report and investigation file to be submitted.

A coronial inquest into the death was held in the Invercargill District Court across two separate phases in 2024.

When Coroner Ho released his findings in June 2025 he asked that the case be reinvestigated for a third time by police from outside the Southern district, calling previous police investigations into the death “a shambles”.

Detective inspector Darrell Harpur from the Waikato Police District, and detective superintendent Ross McKay, a territorial detective superintendent from the North Island, were assigned to reinvestigate the toddler’s death.

Last week McKay told The Southland Times: ‘’The police investigation remains active until the coroner decides it is closed.

“NZ Police have complied with the coroner’s directions to date and await further communication.”

Detective inspector Darrell Harpur was assigned to reinvestigate the death of 3-year-old Gore toddler Lachie Jones. (File photo)

Lachie was found dead in a Gore oxidation pond 1.2km from his home on the night of January 29, 2019. At the time, police quickly concluded the toddler had wandered away from his neighbour’s house without his mother Michelle Officer noticing, and drowned.

Lachie’s father, Paul Jones, had always believed Lachie did not walk 1.2km to the oxidation ponds in a full nappy and with bare feet because there were no marks on the toddler’s feet or legs. Police concluded that his death was an accidental drowning but there was no water found in his lungs.

Paul Jones with his son Lachie as a toddler.

At the inquest, Coroner Ho said there remained unanswered questions about Lachie’s supervision before he escaped, but he said there was no reliable evidence to support that anyone else was involved in Lachie’s death.

“I am not convinced that we have heard the entire truth about the events of January 29, 2019. It is to be a full and fresh investigation.”

Jones said he was feeling frustrated with the progress, given that police were meant to report back to the coroner in January this year.

“The coroner said we have to suffer another Christmas without answers but we don’t want to go through another birthday – but we did,’’ he said.

Lachie would have been 10 years old in May.

“People ask me if it’s just been forgotten about and I say ‘no, it’s never going to be forgotten about’,’’ Jones said.