She Once Smiled So Happily… Police Have Officially Called Off the Massive Search as the Family Tragedy in Port MacDonnell Takes a Shocking New Turn
It has been revealed the mother at the centre of the horrific murder-suicide in South Australia attended a police station the day before she and her daughter were found dead, with police also confirming the search for the woman’s missing baby has been called off.
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The bodies of Helena Wright, 36, and her 23-month-old daughter from Compton were spotted in the water on Monday, after her car was found abandoned with its engine running near Port MacDonnell.
Police today confirmed they were treating the deaths, as well as the disappearance of Ms Wright’s three-month-old son, as a murder-suicide.
The baby boy remains missing but police said the formal search was called off this afternoon after they received advice the child could not have survived.
In a statement, they confirmed Ms Wright had attended the local police station on Sunday, and that police conducted a welfare check the following morning.
“South Australia Police can confirm Helena Wright attended the Mount Gambier Police Station on Sunday 26 July where she spoke with police,” police said in a statement.
“Police can also confirm as a result of a call from a friend received at about 0928 hours on Monday 27 July a patrol conducted a welfare check at the home address of Ms Wright.
“No-one was located at that time.”
Police said they received reports from members of the public, at 11:13am on Monday, of Ms Wright’s car at Cape Northumberland near Port MacDonnell.
“As this matter is now subject to a coronial investigation, SAPOL will provide all relevant information and evidence to the coroner,” they said.
“It is not appropriate to comment further while coronial proceedings are underway.”
Police say the formal search has ceased but coastal monitoring efforts will continue. (ABC News: Guido Salazar)
Police this afternoon said the search for Ms Wright’s missing three-month-old had ceased at 4:30pm.
“Based on expert advice and available information, the infant could not have survived the period of time that has elapsed, either in the water or on land,” they said.
“Additionally, a range of factors, including the search environment and prevailing weather conditions, significantly reduce the likelihood of locating the infant in the immediate term.
“While formal search activities have ceased, SAPOL will continue to coordinate shoreline monitoring and inspections across the coming days.”
Superintendent Trent Cox, officer in charge of the Limestone Coast region, earlier told a media briefing the search for the boy was “sadly a retrieval effort”, and said the circumstances of the case had impacted first responders and the broader community.
“We’ve got a team of psychologists and medical staff attending Limestone Coast tomorrow. They’ll be at Mount Gambier for the next two days,” he said.
“I’ll be reaching out to anyone who has been assisting us to see if they require assistance as well.”
At the media briefing, he was asked whether Ms Wright had attended a local police station.
“The background to any interactions with police forms part of a brief of evidence for the coroner, and whatever interactions anyone has had that’s relevant will be included in that advice to the coroner,” he said.
The bodies of Helena Wright and her young daughter were recovered from waters off Cape Northumberland near Port MacDonnell. (ABC News: Josh Brine)
Superintendent Cox said the welfare of officers and volunteers had been a consideration throughout the search.
“The investigation of any death is very delicate,” he said.
“But when it involves children as young as 23 months and three months, it adds another layer of complexity but also trauma to those that are involved.”
On Tuesday, SA Premier Peter Malinauskas described the deaths of Ms Wright and her daughter as tragedies “that shock you to the core”.
SOURCE: ABC
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-29/mother-attended-police-station-day-before-murder-suicide/106973380
