A man's body was located by police on the grounds of a residence near Palmerston North on Friday night.
Police secured the scene in Bunnythorpe overnight.
A scene examination took place today and will continue tomorrow, police said in a statement.
"While formal identification is still to be carried out, we believe we know the identity of the man and we are working to speak with his family," Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Sheridan said.
The area around the residence has been cordoned off.
