Discovery of body in scrub turns hope to despair

Cem Erbay (right), and his step-father Simon Mercep. Photos / Paul Estcourt, Supplied

For two days Cem Erbay's family and friends clung to the hope that he would come home.

But yesterday their hope turned to despair when a body believed to be that of the missing 19-year-old was found in scrub at Matarangi about 50m from a busy road.

Police are treating the death as suspicious, although Thames-Coromandel sub-area manager Senior Sergeant Graham Shields said it was too early to know if it was a homicide.

Mr Erbay, whose first name is pronounced Jem, was last seen walking home from a New Year's Eve party in Whitianga with his friend Will Killip about 4am at Wharekaho.

His Jandals were found in a creek at Wharekaho.

Police later confirmed another sighting of Mr Erbay at the Matarangi Beach Store, more than 20km away, where he bought something to eat and drink about 9am on Saturday.

Yesterday a body believed to be his was found about 200m from the store in an area covered in scrub, pine trees and manuka.

Earlier in the day, seven search and rescue teams from throughout the Waikato, Auckland and Waihi continued the search for Mr Erbay.

Some knocked on residents' doors throughout the beachside neighbourhood, while others looked through the mangrove swamps south of Matarangi.

The police Eagle helicopter used its infra-red equipment and spent five hours searching from the sky.

The body was found about 4pm yesterday about 50m off the main road in to Matarangi.

Mr Erbay's mother, Sharon Harvey, and her partner, new Morning Report co-presenter Simon Mercep, were told by a policeman at the Whitianga apartment they are renting that Mr Erbay's body had been found.

Mr Mercep said Cem was Ms Harvey's only son. "We were hopeful after there had been good sightings of him on New Year's Day," he said.

"But two whole days had passed and we had some real concerns."

The area was cordoned off last night with a scene guard. Mr Shields said detectives from the Waikato were on their way to the scene and would likely begin their inquiry today.

Mr Shields could not confirm that Mr Erbay had suffered any injuries.

When the Herald spoke to Mr Killip a couple of hours before the body was discovered he was still hopeful his friend would show up somewhere.

He said as far as he could remember Mr Erbay had never hitchhiked.

He said he could handle himself and was not easily intimidated.

Mr Killip spent yesterday with friends handing out flyers in the Coromandel Peninsula area.

Some of his friends were at the Kopu Bridge also handing out flyers while family associates rallied locals around Whitianga for any clues.

"I don't think he would have got injured, he's quite fit and strong and can fend for himself," said Mr Killip.

"But it is a worry, he could have become a little dehydrated or something like that."