The small eastern Bay of Plenty town of Opotiki is reeling after
the bashing death of a local man.
The body of John Rowe, a fragile 78-year-old, was found by a
neighbour in his Windsor Street home where he lived alone, early on
Tuesday morning. He had died the night before.
Police made a painstaking examination of the scene of the brutal murder, with 30 officers investigating the case.
"It's rare for a place like Opotiki to have a crime like this,"
says Detective Inspector Rob Jones.
"All I can describe is that his injuries are extensive and severe
but I can't speculate on the nature of those injuries until the
post-mortem examination is concluded."
Police will not say if they are looking for a weapon.
"For this to happen to this gentleman is an absolute disaster as far as I'm concerned," says a neighbour.
His close neighbour was due to take Rowe for a minor operation on Tuesday morning.
"I went in to give him a bit of a rasp up...and I found everything that had gone very wrong and John was laid low by some very foul people," says the neighbour.
The 85-year-old is still in shock at what he found.
"A home invasion and the resultant injuries that that man sustained, it becomes pretty unbearable," he says.
Monday night was wet and windy in Opotiki. His neighbour says at 3am he heard noises coming from next door, he knew something was up but was too scared to go outside to check.
A former member of the merchant navy, Rowe moved to Opotiki in the late 1960s, working as a maths teacher at the local high school.
"It scares the pants off you doesn't it, says the neighbour.
Jones says it's too early to comment on what the motive might
have been until the scene examination is complete and police can
identify whether any property is missing.
Police are now appealing to the public for help as the hunt for the
person or people responsible continues.
If you have any information on thus crime please contact
police on 0800 HELPJOHN or 0800 43575646
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