Police have released the name of the 22-year-old male who died on Matakana Island on New Year's Day.
He was Freedom James Te Patu Taikato, of Matakana Island, acting Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Rawlinson said in a statement.
The family have requested privacy. They asked media to respect this request and not contact them, he said.
The homicide investigation is ongoing with teams continuing to work on Matakana Island and in Tauranga.