Body found at park
Police call for public help to identify victim in sleeping bag
A MANHUNT is under way for the killer of a man found with “physical wounds” inside a sleeping bag at a popular northern New South Wales park.
A couple out walking their dog about 11am (NSW time) yesterday found the body in the Jack Evans Boat Harbour.
Police are investigating whether the deceased was homeless and living in the park, but they believe the man to be in his 50s and are trying to contact his next of kin.
Detective Chief Inspector Brendon Cullen said police established a crime scene quickly.
“The scene where he was found is being examined by our crime scene examiners, the exact injuries and what he was sleeping in,” Insp Cullen said. “We are treating it as a suspicious death. There are visible injuries, yes.
“It’s too early to say how he sustained those injuries. We have our crime scene examiner and once they do that we’ll have a better idea of what we are looking for.”
He said police were trying to identify the victim and were calling on the public for assistance.
“Where this person is from, who he is and what he was doing before he met his demise is what we are trying to find out now.
“We really want to appeal to anyone that was in this
WE ARE TREATING IT AS A SUSPICIOUS DEATH. THERE ARE VISIBLE INJURIES
DETECTIVE CHIEF INSPECTOR BRENDON CULLEN
area of Jack Evans Boat Harbour last night … that may have seen something.”
Insp Cullen said police would trawl through the park’s extensive CCTV network to find out what happened in the lead-up to the man’s body being discovered.
“One of our tasks is getting through all of those cameras.
“There are lots of residences that look into the area as well, so one of the tasks is to get in and talk to those people and find out who knows what.”
The alleged killing has prompted calls from a longtime charity worker to improve the safety for the region’s homeless.
You Have a Friend founder John Lee said there had been a growing number of attacks on homeless people in the area. Jack Evans Park has acted as something of a haven for the Tweed’s growing homeless community, with many transient people staying there or at Coolangatta’s Goodwin Park.
“I know pretty well all of them. I’ll be talking to the boys and girls (homeless) and find out what’s going on,” he said.
Mr Lee, who has worked with homeless people in the Tweed for years, said he had heard of several incidents of people sleeping rough being beaten by “thugs” around the Queensland-NSW border recently.
“It’s not unusual. We had the person who was glassed (earlier this year). Many of our homeless people tell me how scared they are,” he said.
“What these thugs do is they come and find them in their sleeping bag and kick them because they can’t defend themselves.
“The people doing it are full of ice (methamphetamines) or drink or whatever.”
Police are appealing for anyone with information about this incident to call Tweed Heads Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.