Motel searched after park death
Police cordoned off a motel near where a Russian national was found dead in a Christchurch park yesterday.
It’s understood they had been treating the death as a homicide, but now classified it as ‘‘unexplained’’.
Police said the man died in the early hours of yesterday at or near Edmonds Park in Waltham. Emergency services were called about 3.30am.
It is understood the man was a Russian fisherman. The Russian Embassy was unaware of the man’s death when contacted yesterday.
A formal identification process was under way.
Cordons were set up around the park and on Ferry Rd, a crime scene tent was set up on the park pathway and another at Ferry Rd outside the park.
A mobile police base and forensic photographers spent most of the day at the scene.
Yesterday afternoon, police set up a cordon outside the Ferry Motel and taped off one unit. The motel owner declined to comment.
Detective Senior Sergeant Jason Stewart said the man’s death was ‘‘unexplained’’.
‘‘The investigation is still in its early stages,’’ he said. ‘‘Police are currently speaking to a number of people and are not actively seeking anyone else in relation to the death.’’
Ferry Rd closed for nearly 12 hours, but has since been restored to two-way traffic.
Anyone in the area between
2am and 3.30am yesterday morning, and who may have seen anything unusual, was asked to contact the police on (03) 363-7400 or Crimestoppers anonymously on
0800 555 111.
In September, it emerged burglars booked a room at the motel under a false name and used it as a base to raid dozens of homes. Police said they found stolen equipment in the rented room.