Update - Suspicious Death Murupara

Rotorua Police say that the Post Mortem undertaken on the 17 year old who died in Murupara in the early hours of Saturday (3 October) morning, indicate that the preliminary cause of death has been attributed to serious head injuries.

Police are not able to comment at this stage as to what caused these injuries.

Acting Rotorua Area Commander, Inspector Greg Sparrow, says Kaine Ernest LEWIS was found unconscious in a driveway in Kaingaroa at approximately 1:15am on Saturday morning. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at Rotorua Hospital.

Inspector Sparrow says Police have spent much of the day in Murupara today, speaking with witnesses and continuing the forensic examinations.

“A large number of residents and witnesses have been interviewed, and these interviews will continue over the next couple of days.

“The positive information being provided to Police has been of considerable assistance in piecing together the events prior to these injuries being received by Mr Lewis.”

Inspector Sparrow says the investigation team consists of Police investigators from across the Bay of Plenty Police District, with the team based at both the Rotorua and Murapara Police Stations.

Additional Police resources are still in place in the Murupara area to support the investigation.

Inspector Sparrow says the continuing priority for the investigative team is to ensure that all of the relevant information is obtained. Police ask that any person that has any information about the death to call the Rotorua Police station on (07) 3480099 to pass that information on.

The body of Kaine LEWIS has now been released to his family in Kaingaroa.

Further media updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.