Missing man’s body found in caravan

Transient dead for about a year

The badly decomposed remains of a man in a caravan in a Cromwell holiday park were those of a missing transient.

Police were called to the Cromwell Top 10 Holiday Park about 10.30am on Thursday after a woman discovered the body lying on the floor of her caravan, which was in a secured storage compound at the rear of the park with about 100 other caravans.

Detective Sergeant Derek Shaw of Alexandra said, while the per- son was yet to be formally identified, several items found at the scene indicated the body was that of Simon James Garrick, aged 42, who had been missing for about one year.

Police had concluded the circumstances did not appear to be suspicious after a scene examination yesterday, and the matter had been referred to the coroner.

Mr Garrick’s family had been told of the latest developments, he said.

‘‘Simon’s family wish to thank the public and the media for their support over the period of time that Simon has been missing. While this support has been very important to them, they now ask for privacy.’’

Police believed Mr Garrick’s body, which was found on the floor of the caravan covered in bedding, had been there for ‘‘at least one Central Otago summer and winter’’.

‘‘When the owner has opened the door she has been confronted by quite an horrific scene.

‘‘It would have been a horrendous scene for her to discover.’’

The caravan door was locked and entry appeared to have been gained through the window, Mr Shaw said.

Mr Garrick was from Dunedin but had been working in Central Otago. He had been missing for a year.

Police recently offered a $20,000 reward for information about his disappearance.

The operator of the holiday park said it was business as usual yesterday.

About 60 guests were at the park, most of whom were oblivious to what had happened.

The caravan is at the rear of the camping ground in a fenced-off area where about 100 caravans were stored.

‘‘We are just letting police do their job. It is nothing we could have known about,’’ the operator said.

The last confirmed sighting of Mr Garrick was in Dunedin’s Caversham Four Square store in South Rd on October 30 last year.

A week earlier he had failed to appear in the Alexandra District Court on driving and dishonesty charges, and Alexandra police had issued a warrant for his arrest.

Several factors contributed to suspicions Mr Garrick’s disappearance was not due to evasion.

He had uncharacteristically been absent from work, and had not been in touch with family and associates, despite the death of his father, to whom he was close.

There had been no activity on his cellphone or bank accounts af- ter October 30 and he had not used his two vehicles.

Mr Garrick had always been a reliable worker but had ties to Otago criminals because he was a burglar and heavy drug user, police said.

Last month Mr Shaw issued a plea to the public to help find him.

‘‘We have yet to hear from those close to him in the group we described, particularly those from the Dunedin criminal community,’’ he said.

‘‘We’d still like to hear from someone Simon mixed or associated with immediately before or after his disappearance on October 30.’’