Homicide victim subject to violent attack

Hamilton man John Isaac was subject to a violent attack before his body was dumped in the Waikato River, police say.

Police Detective Inspector Darrell Harpur revealed that the 53-year-old suffered multiple injuries before he was found in the river at Ngāruawāhia by a person in a boat near the golf course on Thursday, January 18.

Police believe his body was dumped in the river in broad daylight on what was a hot summer’s day just a few hours before he was found at 6.30pm.

The police investigation was focused on the river and surrounding areas, with police looking for any sightings, especially around any of the bridges between Hamilton and Ngāruawāhia.

Isaac’s exacts movements leading up to his death were still being pieced together, but Harpur said he was last seen at a shop in Avalon Dr in Hamilton’s Nawton on Wednesday at around 3pm.

Isaac visited the shop twice that day, and purchased items - but Harpur would not reveal what he bought.

There was then a gap in the timeline from 3pm on Wednesday until Thursday at 6.30pm when he was found.

Police believe the assault occurred earlier in the day on Thursday, and that Isaac’s body had only been in the river a few hours. Harpur said it had been in good condition when located.

He added Isaac was believed to have been travelling around the Hamilton area, where he resides, and was wearing black cargo pants and a green camouflage T-shirt with a print of a gas mask on it.

Raised in Porirua, Isaac lived in a Kainga Ora house in Hamilton and had some serious health issues.

“He was very much a home body and spent much of his day pretty much watching television.”

He was not a gang member, but was known to police and had “familial connections“to the underworld.