New Zealand Police Alert 16:00 13-01-2008 Southern

Location of incident: Balclutha

Incident Type: Balclutha Homicide

PRESS RELEASE NO 3 Issued on behalf of Detective Inspector PINKHAM.

Police in Balclutha continue with their investigation into the death of a male person after a body was discovered in the Clutha River, near Balclutha. A homicide enquiry based at the Balclutha Police Station is under way.

Investigation head - Detective Inspector Ross Pinkham - says that a post mortem was completed in Dunedin today. The results of the post mortem show that the death was not as a result of natural causes. Details relating to the cause of death will not be released at this stage.

Mr Pinkham says that the identity of the victim has not been confirmed, but the Police have several lines of investigation to confirm his identity.

Police responded to a call from a user of the river who saw the body in the river at 3pm on Saturday. Balclutha Police assisted by Detectives from Dunedin worked late into the night to remove the body from the river.

A large number of staff are currently working in Balclutha conducting enquiries in the vicinity of the Clutha River, near Stirling, in an effort to ascertain what may have occurred.

Mr Pinkham says that the NZ Police Dive team from Wellington has joined the investigation today and have been working in the area of the river from where the body was recovered.

Specialist Search Team staff from Christchurch has also assisted the investigation with a search of the river bank and surrounding farm areas.

Mr Pinkham says that a number of people living in the Balclutha area have been offering assistance to the Police as to the possible identity of the victim. Interviews with these people have consumed most of the day.

Investigators are seeking any information from the community in Balclutha that could have some assistance to the investigation.

ENDS

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