Mystery death

Press, 22 January 1979, Page 1

Mystery death

PA Auckland Auckland detectives are investigating the death of a young woman who apparently lapsed into a coma, and later died, while sleeping on the floor of a Mount Eden flat on Saturday night. Another young woman lying next to the dead woman on the floor also in a deep coma was taken to Auckland Hospital where she was admitted to the intensive-care unit. She was still seriously ill last evening.

The police have been unable to identify either of the women, both in their 20s. Both are believed to be former nurses who recently visited Australia. Policemen called to the scene took possession of pill bottles found on a table near the comatose women.

Detective Sergeant M. Tebbutt, of the Auckland police, said yesterday that there did not appear to be anybody else involved in the death of the woman. A neighbour had called at the flat about 5 p.m. on Saturday and noticed the two women apparently lying asleep side by side on the floor but saw nothing untoward, Sergeant Tebbutt said. The fact that one was dead and the other comatose was not reported until soon after midnight when a boy-friend of one of them visited the flat. Sergeant Tebbutt said that a post-mortem examination would be made today