Police hand Lachlan Jones reinvestigation file to coroner
New Zealand police have submitted the findings of a reinvestigation into the 2019 death of toddler Lachlan Jones to the coroner. The case, which was previously ruled a drowning, remains controversial as the child's father continues to allege foul play.
Why it matters
The case highlights issues of police accountability and the pursuit of justice in suspicious child death investigations.
The results of a police reinvestigation into the death of Southland toddler Lachlan Jones have been handed to the coroner.
Police were directed to carry out a " full and fresh investigation " into the case last year, following two investigations that concluded the three-year-old had mistakenly drowned.
In June 2025, a coroner found Lachlan most likely fled home and accessed the pond himself but said he could not rule out foul play, and the initial two police investigations had left a multitude of unanswered questions.
Alexander Ho told police to report back by mid-January and also pass the findings to the Independent Police Conduct Authority and the New Zealand Medical Council.
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