Richard Hoani Herekiuha was originally from Eastern Bay of Plenty but moved to Rotorua last year. Photo / NZ police
The body of a man found in a Rotorua stream on Tuesday morning has been identified.
Richard Hoani Herekiuha, 43, was originally from the eastern Bay of Plenty, but had moved to Rotorua last year, police said.
He was found dead in the Otamatea Stream around 11.30am on Tuesday by a member of the public.
He had not been seen since the previous Tuesday, at his home in Fordlands.
Police are now appealing for help to piece together his movements throughout those seven days.
"Although we provisionally know how Mr Herekiuha died, we need to piece together his movements over the past week before we can draw any conclusions about the circumstances," Detective Senior Sergeant Zane Smith said.
"Until this work is carried out I can't and won't speculate as to whether anything untoward has occurred.
"We have CCTV footage which shows him at Pak n Save on the morning of Tuesday, May 19, and this is the last confirmed sighting.
"We ask that people study this image and cast their minds back over the last week to any sightings or information that might assist us."
Mr Herekiuha was described as approximately 174cm tall and of a large build. He travelled on a black mountain bike, which was found along with his black cycle helmet, close to a track which runs from the intersection of Sunset Rd and Wrigley Rd through to the Ruth St area where Otamatea Stream joins Utahina Stream, police said.
The bike was seen on Monday, around 10m to 15m from where Mr Herekiuha was found the following day.
Police are keen to speak to anyone who used that track between Tuesday, May 19 and Tuesday, May 26 and saw the black mountain bike, or anything else that might assist the investigation.
Mr Herekiuha regularly rode in to town and generally wore a beanie beneath his black bike helmet, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Rotorua Police on 07 348 0099, or anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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