Exclusive: Facebook messages raise fresh questions about Gore boy’s death

During the gap between coronial inquest hearings into the death of Gore three-year-old Lachlan Jones, new information has emerged and been examined by police.

The toddler’s body was found floating face up in an oxidation pond on the outskirts of Gore by a police dog and its handler on a hot summer’s night in January 2019. 

Police ruled his death an accident and closed the case, concluding Lachie had walked 1.2km from his house, climbed a fence, fell in to the pond and drowned. Since then, police have admitted “missed steps” in their handling of the investigation.

Newsroom has covered this case for more than four years, including two video investigations, last year’s nine-part first season of The Boy in the Water, and season two of the podcast, which covered the first phase of a coronial inquest earlier this year.

The second phase is scheduled to begin early next week and will be covered for season three of the podcast, which can be found on Newsroom’s new investigative podcast channel, Delve.

Revealed in a special exclusive episode to be released early to Delve subscribers today, Newsroom has learned of a young woman reporting to police information told to her by a person she knows in Gore.

That person told her a young man said he threw Lachie Jones in the oxidation pond.

A recent message exchange between the woman and this person in Gore appears to back up her claim.

Newsroom’s investigations editor, Melanie Reid, interviewed the young woman at a location in Southland.

Newsroom has seen the messages, which shows the exchange is from Facebook Messenger, and the account name and photo match the person she is talking about.

The woman told Reid some of the same people involved had once taken her as a child towards the river to throw her in.

Newsroom understands police have interviewed her and taken statements from those she says told her what happened.

A police report now exists but the young woman says police have told her the informant denies ever saying what she claims.

The woman says she wanted to tell the story and let the public know.

Newsroom will continue investigating her claims and the trail of messages.

To listen early to the episode, sign up here or search for Delve on Apple, Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, and subscribe. The episode will be available to non-subscribers in a few days’ time.