New information about man found dead in harbour

Police investigating the death of a Tauranga man in December have received a new confirmed sighting.

Ira Shephard was found dead in Tauranga Harbour on Saturday, 8 December and police have been working since then to establish his movements and ascertain his state of mind.

Previously the last confirmed sighting of Mr Shephard had been approximately 10am on the morning of the 1st. However Police have just received information from a member reporting that they saw Mr Shephard at approximately 4pm on the 1st.

The witness had been walking along the Mount Maunganui track by Pilot Bay and describes Mr Shephard as being by himself and carrying a box of beer.

His body was found a week later in Tauranga Harbour on Saturday, 8 December.

The Mount track was busy at that time and Police would like to speak to anyone who may recall seeing Ira, who is described as a 5'8" male European, medium build with short blonde hair. He was wearing a dark t-shirt and dark jeans. He may have been sitting somewhere along the track drinking with others or by himself.

Detective Sergeant Iain Chapman said: "The woman who reported this was concerned about wasting our time with information that may not be relevant but having read a recent renewed appeal made contact with us. It just goes to show that seemingly irrelevant information may in fact be key to an investigation so we encourage every one to let us be the judge. We would rather receive irrelevant information than miss something vital."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Iain Chapman on 07 577 4374.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>