Roseneath Deaths: British couple was a scientist and teacher

Claire and Ben Anderson.
Photo: Provided

The British couple found dead in suspicion of murder of killer on a property in the suburb of Roseneath, on Monday night, were Ben and Claire Anderson, understands RNZ.

A worried family member asked the police to make a well -being of the Pallliser Road property occupants around 10:25 pm on Monday.

Police forced the way and found two people dead.

The posts were completed on Wednesday and the case will be referred to the coroner, as the police are not looking for anyone else in relation to the deaths.

Police have confirmed that the deaths are being treated as a murder and are providing support to the family.

Ben and Claire Anderson were living with their landlord on the property. Their neighbor, Emma Prestidge, described them as adorable people and the neighbors of dreams.

Ben was living and working in New Zealand, while Claire was moving between New Zealand and the United Kingdom, before settling in Wellington in December, said President.

He worked in science, she was a teacher and they had adult children in New Zealand. They are thinking of moving to Otago to be closer to them, she said.

Prestidge wasn’t sure if Claire had already found work in New Zealand.

Ben Anderson’s profile at LinkedIn said he worked at Building Research Association (Branz) as the main research scientist since January 2024. Branz told RNZ that he was directing all questions to the police.

Before his time in Branz, Ben Anderson worked at the University of Southampton and the University of Otago, which he left in 2019.

He was a global scholarship from Marie Sklodowska-Curie, financed by the EU, researching Otago between 2017 and 2019 and then Southampton between 2019 and 2020, analyzing local electricity demand profiles.

Photo: RNZ / SAMUEL RILLSTONE

The University of Otago refused to comment and RNZ contacted the University of Southampton.

Wellington district commander Corrie Parnell did not confirm that the people who died were the Andersons.

Police would not release their names until they had the coroner’s authority, he said.

Parnell understood that they were British and had a family in New Zealand, with whom the police had contacted.

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