The father of two boys found dead in their family home in New South Wales’ Blue Mountains says the tragedy has caused “unimaginable pain” as the siblings’ mother remains in hospital under the care of the police.
Nick Smith discovered the bodies of his two sons, Russell, 11, and Ben, nine, at their family home in Faulconbridge on Tuesday.
Police are waiting to interview their 42-year-old mother, who was separated from Smith after being taken from the scene to hospital with minor injuries.
In a statement released Thursday, Smith expressed disbelief at the tragedy while calling for privacy.
“The loss of our two beautiful boys has caused unimaginable pain and distress,” he said.
“Russell and Ben were happy, funny, outgoing boys and were much loved by their family and friends.”
Smith said his sons loved football, the Penrith Panthers rugby team, fishing and spending time with friends and their dog Max.
“We cannot understand how our boys were taken in this way and we appreciate the kindness and compassion shown by the community,” he said.
“We also ask that the media respect our need for privacy at this time and give us the time and space we need to grieve.”
Flowers, teddy bears and toy cars sat against the fence of the Faulconbridge home as a photo of the smiling dark-haired siblings was released by their family on Wednesday.
The mother’s personal Facebook page is filled with photos of her and the children together, showing them on frequent bush walks and at the beach.
Investigators declined to speculate on what happened before the brothers were killed, but police said they were not looking for any other parties.
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