By 1news.co.nz and is republished with permission
A body believed to be missing Auckland man Ronny Okeke has been found by police in the Kaimai Ranges, with the death being treated as “suspicious”.
The 60-year-old Sandringham man was last seen over a month and a half ago at a New World supermarket in Mt Roskill and was reported missing five days later.
Earlier this month Auckland City CIB Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin confirmed Okeke was involved in an altercation with another man on, or around, April 27 and a “person of interest” had been spoken to.
Baldwin said the investigation team were conducting searches in part of the Kaimai Ranges yesterday, which “resulted in a body being located”.
“While searching a section of bush in the Kaimai Ranges, the team have come across a man’s body.
“Formal identification procedures still need to be carried out, however based on the information we have gathered to this point in the investigation, we believe that this is Ronny,” he said.
Baldwin said the investigation team had spoken to Okeke’s family in Nigeria overnight.
“This is news that no family ever wants to hear, and they are devastated that Ronny will not be coming home,” he said.
He confirmed the body had now been removed from the site and a post-mortem was scheduled to take place “over the coming days”.
A forensic examination of Okeke’s mobile phone would also continue after it was recovered as part of inquiries.
Police asked anyone with information surrounding Okeke’s death to contact them on 105 or online.
