Body of 17 years girl found as former resident collected the mail ^Featured

Ashley Tonga was collecting the mail at her old family home when she felt the hairs rise up on the back of her neck.

She says it was if she knew something had happened, and she ran to her car and drove away.

Something had happened – the body of a 17-year-old girl was found at the house in Buckland Rd, Māngere, on Tuesday.

Tonga, a former X Factor contestant, moved out of the home on June 28 – something she said she regretted as "if we were living there, this would've never ever happened".

The property remained cordoned off on Wednesday and police officers could be seen knocking doors and talking to residents.

The former tenant says neighbours had told her young people could be seen coming and going from the home while it was empty.

A police officer had been posted outside the property since Tuesday and forensic investigators could still be seen inside the house and operating around a tent on the front lawn.

A detective was also seen holding a brown evidence bag in the driveway.

On Tuesday, Detective Inspector Tofilau Faa Vaaelua, of Counties Manukau police, said police believed the girl had died some time on Saturday.

"Police have been conducting a scene examination at the address and are following lines of inquiries to establish the circumstances around the death," Vaaelua said.

The victim is yet to be formally identified and a post-mortem examination was due to be carried out on Wednesday.

Tonga said her family had lived at the six-bedroom home for about 10 years before moving out.

She said the area was safe and the family had never locked their doors.

"My friends joked that my house was a 24-hour drive through [because it was] never closed or locked but open to the world," Tonga said.

"It was a place where friends and family, even neighbours came and felt welcomed. Never in 10 years were we robbed or did an incident like this occur."

The words she used to describe her home were "warm" and "welcoming", and while they celebrated birthdays, it was never a "party house", she said.

When family members began leaving the home, and Tonga found herself flying in and out of New Zealand, the family decided to move out of the house.

"A decision I feel now I regret as if we were living there, this would've never ever happened," she said.

Tonga had continued to visit the house, collecting mail and to make sure no one was inside, as neighbours had told her they had seen and heard young people around, she said.

"I drove up the driveway and the curtains was open. I know we all closed the curtains when we left.

"And I could see inside the windows that some goons were inside tagging all over."

She closed everything and locked the doors, returning on July 8 about 6pm to look for a package.

The hairs on the back of her neck started standing up, Tonga said.

"I approached the back door checking if it's locked and it was locked. That's when I felt scared.

"I feel like if I looked properly and shined my light around I would've seen the body. I just missed it and I'm quite happy I didn't see it because I would've not known what to do.

"I ran quickly to the car and drove back home."

The family received calls the next day about the home.

Tonga and her mother went to visit the house, sitting for 10 minutes in silence as they arrived, "shocked" at how it had become a crime scene, she said.

Neighbours spoke to Tonga, telling her the area no longer felt safe.

"As we talked about what was happening a body was lifted from the back to a van in the front," she said.

"My heart dropped and I started getting teary.

"I knew the worst had happened – I can't believe it's happened and it still feels like a dream."

Police said on Wednesday afternoon the investigation into the girl's death was "very complex" and they were still piecing together what had happened.

- Stuff