Rifle fished out of river may be linked to homicide

Police investigating the death of farm manager Stephen George have found a rifle in a deep section of the Waikato River.

Detective Sergeant Dave Beattie of Taupo CIB said the gun was found by the police dive squad in the river near Atiamuri, 25km southeast of Tokoroa yesterday.

The rifle has been sent away for forensic examination to see if it was connected to the homicide inquiry, Mr Beattie said.

Mr George, a 35-year-old father of four, was found in his fire-gutted farmhouse in Tirohanga, near Atiamuri, on October 9. His remains were so badly burnt he had to be identified through DNA testing.

Police launched a homicide investigation after Mr George's burnt-out Nissan Primera was found on a rural road near Mangakino on October 13.

Mr Beattie said the dive squad covered an area near the centre of a bridge on Tram Rd, where the river was 15m deep.

He said the dive was not done as a result of information received, but was part of the overall investigation.

"We have been wanting to have this dive completed for a while but the conditions have not been right," he said.

"It all came together on Sunday and we are happy to have the dive finally completed."

Mr Beattie praised the police divers.

"I believe that we benefit from a very experienced police dive team in New Zealand," he said.

"They had a one-hour opportunity to get it right on Sunday."

The Mighty River Power company were able to reduce water flow in that area for an hour between 7am and 8am.

"The dive was conducted in dark conditions on the bottom and 15m was remarkably deep for a river."

In December, police said Mr George might have been killed over a cannabis deal.

Rotorua Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper, heading the homicide investigation Operation Star, said police inquiries revealed Mr George might have been involved in growing and supplying cannabis, but this was just one avenue of inquiry.

He said police believed two or more people were probably involved in Mr George's death.

- NZPA