Homicide probe after body found
Police have identified the man whose body was found on a Canterbury riverbed, but will not yet make his name public.
A homicide investigation was under way after the man’s body was found on the Waimakariri River bed near Harrs Rd, North Canterbury, shortly before 10pm on Monday.
Detective Inspector Greg Murton said the body was not that of missing Christchurch builder Michael McGrath. Murton said officers knew who the man was and hoped to notify his family yesterday, but his name would not be released.
A scene examination where the man’s body was found was yesterday’s ‘‘main focus’’, he said, and an autopsy would take place today.
In a statement, Detective Inspector Corrie Parnell said: ‘‘The scene is now under police guard and will be the subject of a forensic scene examination over the coming days.
‘‘The identity of the male is yet to be confirmed.’’
Yesterday a Harrs Rd resident, whose house was about 300 metres from the river, said she was ‘‘quite unaware’’ of anything sinister happening on Monday night.
‘‘We were watching the leaders debate on TV and I don’t recall hearing anything [outside],’’ she said.
‘‘Quite a lot of traffic uses this road these days, so I’m not sure we would even notice a vehicle going down it.’’
The area was considered safe, she said, but ‘‘in any area of open land near a river you’re going to get criminal activity’’.
‘‘Over the whole time we’ve been out here, 37 years, there’s been a good number of burnt-out vehicles … and we are aware that there is quite a lot of marijuana grown up and down the river bed.’’
‘‘This is a very safe, quiet area … and of course our hearts and sympathies go out to those people who are touched by these tragedies, it’s very unpleasant.’’
Monday’s discovery would further stretch police resources in Canterbury as investigators continue to probe the McGrath’s disappearance. He has been missing since May 21.