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Hope tattoo will identify mystery bodyFont Size: Decrease Increase Print Page: Print By Greg Roberts | January 03, 2009
Article from: Australian Associated Press

Badly decomposed body found
Police release image of distinctive tattoo
Hope it will identify the body

Distinctive ... police have released this copy of a tattoo found on the back of a dead man's body / AAP
A BADLY decomposed body found off a dirt road in Melbourne's east is that of a middle-aged man who had been lying dead for two weeks, police believe.

Police are hoping a distinctive tattoo, which covers his entire back and features a swooping eagle and a tiger, will help to identify the man.

An autopsy was carried out on the body on today, but the cause of death is yet to be established.

It is believed the body is that of a middle-aged man who had been lying dead for two weeks off a dirt road at Park Orchards, Homicide Squad acting Senior Sergeant Wayne Cheesman said.

"Because of the state of decomposition we are still doing some forensic tests to establish the race of the person," he said.

"We do believe it's male, possibly 175cm tall, we know the person had probably had long shoulder length black hair.

"There is severe trauma to the person's head, so we believe he's been struck a number of times by a heavy blunt object.

"It's quite gruesome, very gruesome actually."

The body was found by a retired police officer and his wife out walking their dog yesterday evening.

The couple went to investigate a bad smell they had noticed for a fortnight and saw a leg protruding out of plastic and bedding wrapped around a body.

Although the body was in bushland it is part of a residential area.

The key to identifying the body could lie with a distinctive, large tattoo that covers the dead person's entire back.

The tattoo consists of a swooping eagle, underneath that is a tiger, around the two animals is swirling and clouds and the image comes from completely black ink with no colours.

The person had two diamond earrings in his left ear, one a silver diamond stud and a diamond encrusted sleeper, and reading glasses were found in the wrapping around the body.

"We are going through our missing persons reports and our records on tattoos, so hopefully we can make some progress through our forensic testing and those inquiries," acting Snr Sgt Cheesman said.

"We also ask for people to come forward ... any help makes our job easier.

"If anyone in the area in the last two weeks saw cars coming or going, anything suspicious, call Crime Stoppers."

Acting Snr Sgt Cheesman said he did not believe a series of bodies discovered around Victoria in recent days were linked, including that of a man's body on the Mornington Peninsula and a body that washed up on a beach at French Island.

"It's a busy time for us but there is no indication they are connected," acting Snr Sgt Cheesman said.
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