Twilight death not suspicious, say police

A man's body was found at Reading Cinema on Wellington's Courtenay Place last night. Photos / Martin Sykes and Anthony Phelps

Police are treating the death of a 23-year-old man at a Wellington cinema last night as unexplained but not suspicious.

The body of the man was found in a movie theatre at the Reading complex on Courtenay Place by a staff member shortly before 8.30pm last night, said police. The theatre had been screening The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Detective Senior Sergeant Scott Miller told a 5pm media conference the man had no obvious injuries.

He said police hope a post-mortem examination to be carried out tomorrow afternoon will shed more light on what caused his death.

Mr Miller said the man, who lives in Wellington but is described as a "transient" who travels throughout New Zealand, appeared to have gone alone to the 6pm screening of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

At about 8.20pm, after the movie had finished, the man was the only audience member left in the cinema and was slumped forward in his chair, said Mr Miller.

A cinema staff member thought the man was asleep and asked a member of security to check on him.

Emergency services were called but paramedics were unable to resuscitate the man, said Mr Miller.

The cinema in which the man died was closed while police carried out a scene examination, but has now been reopened for screenings this evening, said Mr Miller.

Despite identifying the man, Mr Miller said police had not yet been able to contact his next of kin so would not yet be releasing his name.

The Courtenay Place death follows the discovery of an 18-year-old man's body at the Soho apartment complex in nearby Egmont Street yesterday morning.

- NZ Herald staff