A homicide investigation was opened in December 1998 after the death of 25-year-old David John Robinson in Kakapotahi. Photo / Supplied
A homicide investigation was opened in December 1998 after the death of 25-year-old David John Robinson in Kakapotahi. Photo / Supplied
Police have revealed they are “reviewing new information” about the unsolved killing of a man in a small West Coast town more than 26 years ago — including a “single gunshot” heard in the area where he was found.
A homicide investigation was opened in December 1998 after the death of 25-year-old David John Robinson in Kakapotahi.
His decomposing body was found with a single gunshot to the forehead, on a remote West Coast beach near Ross in the South Island.
It was estimated he was killed about 10 days earlier.
Detective Inspector Geoff Baber said Robinson’s possessions were scattered across the beach, indicating he had likely been staying in the area before he died.
“After extensive inquiries at the time of his death — including interviewing a number of people within the community and conducting searches of nearby beach, bush and river areas — the investigation was scaled back.”
A homicide investigation was opened in December 1998 after the death of 25-year-old David John Robinson in Kakapotahi.
Baber said police made additional inquiries in the 26 years since his murder and he wanted family and the community to know police were “not giving up”.
Earlier this month, he announced officers would be canvassing the Kakapotahi area this week and inquiries would continue.
”It has been reported that a single gunshot was heard by a number of people in the Kakapotahi settlement between December 14 and 18 around 10-10.30am — approximately two weeks before David’s body was located about 3km away,“ he said.
“There has been no explanation to date as to what that single gunshot was. If you know something, we encourage you to come forward and speak to us.”
It has been a West Coast mystery for more than two decades.
Baber said the information and new lines of inquiry came to light after “re-interviewing individuals”.
“The dedicated investigation team based in Hokitika police station, are following these new leads, and are interviewing new people now located across the West Coast and some other parts of the South Island,” he said.
Baber said Robinson would have now been 51 — and while his death was nearly three decades ago his family continue to grieve.
“We know people may not have wanted to previously tell us what they saw or heard, but the passing of time may have changed things for them, and they may see things differently now with regards to David and what happened to him,” he said.
“Our goal is to get justice for David, and answers for his family.”
A reconstruction of a fragment.
He said it was not too late to provide the Robinson family with answers.
Anyone with information is being asked to email police via the cold case form on the police website, or call 105 and reference the case number 231129/2221.
Anna Leask is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 18 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz
