BIZARRE BULLETPROOF VEST CORIO DEATH TWIST:

POLICE will probe why a man fatally shot in Corio was wearing a faulty bulletproof vest at the time and if it was a case of hijinks gone wrong.

Chris “Legsy” Jacobs, 39, was shot in the early hours of July 4 near his caravan in the vicinity of Chaffey Square.

Homicide detectives are investigating the fatality and are yet to lay any charges.

Witness accounts from anyone present at the time will be crucial to the case as investigators examine what led to the tragedy.

Sources said an essential panel that repels projectiles was missing from the vest at the time of the shooting.

This week police and the State Emergency Service combed a 1km-long drain on Chaffey Square in connection with the incident, but said they had not found any clues.

They also scoured grassland for clues in the hope it could lead them closer to who was responsible for the mysterious death.

Forensic police inspected and took samples from a dark-coloured Ford Falcon on Goldsworthy Road last week.

It is unclear how Mr Jacobs (pictured above) came to be in possession of the vest — which is a criminal offence in Victoria under the Control of Weapons Act and carries a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment.

Mr Jacobs was taken to hospital where he died from his injuries.

Best friend Emma Culliver said Mr Jacobs was once a promising surfer but struggled with mental illness and had been recently released from jail.

“He’s not like everyone else, he was different — caring, kind and unique,” she said.

Mr Jacobs had recently completed a degree in computer programming at Deakin University.

Friend Georgia Finnigan described Mr Jacobs as “so intelligent and so smart.”

“He was cleaning up his act, he did four years at uni but he got into the wrong crowd,” she said

Ms Finnigan said she was “so, so shocked” by her friend’s death and said Mr Jacob’s biggest issue had been “not seeing his own self-worth”.

Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.