"Dead man still not identified"
[Photos]

The identity of a man found dead in central Napier last week remains a mystery, despite public pleas for information about him.

The man was found dead in the central city last Monday morning. The death is not being treated as suspicious.

He is described as a Maori or Polynesian aged in his 50s or 60s. He was of solid build, about 1.78m tall with grey receding hair and a grey goatee.

Detective Sergeant John McCarthy of Hawke’s Bay CIB said police had received a few calls from the public about the man after media coverage last week, but there had been nothing to confirm his identity.

“It has now been a week since this man was found and we are no closer to finding out who he is, where he is from or whether he lived in Napier or if he was a visitor. It’s a complete mystery and we are hoping to get some closure for this man’s family, who will no doubt be distressed to hear of his death,” Mr McCarthy said.

The man had no identification on him or any other items when he was found. He was wearing a dark blue jacket, jeans and brown suede walking shoes. He also has two distinctive tattoos – a snake wrapped around a skull and sword on one arm, and a line of narrow squares on one hand.

Mr McCarthy said the public may hold the key to finding out who the man is.

“If the description fits someone you know or have seen lately, please let us know. If you have neighbours who fit the description, please check on them. The man’s tattoos are also very unusual and look to be amateur, so they might ring a bell with someone,” Mr McCarthy said.

All usual police procedures to identify a person had been exhausted and police were now looking to forensic tools such as dental records and DNA. Those results would take some time, so in the meantime the public were being asked for assistance.

Anyone with information about the man should contact Mr McCarthy on 06 2113810.

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