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The sister of the man whose body was found in the Clutha River says she is struggling to believe what has happened.
Sarah Hutchings, 16, spoke yesterday at Balclutha police station of her nightmare over the death of Michael Hutchings, 18.
His body was found dumped in the Clutha River last Saturday afternoon.
He had been stabbed twice and heavy steel bars were lashed around him to try to weigh him down in the water.
"I feel like I'm watching a TV show but everything that's happening is real," Miss Hutchings told The Otago Daily Times.
"It's really hard to understand how this could have possibly happened."
Mr Hutchings was the eldest son of a large family.
Most of the immediate family moved to Australia about a year ago and Michael and Sarah were the only ones living in South Otago.
Their isolation from the family brought the pair closer, Miss Hutchings said.
She would buy her big brother deodorant, clothes and a phonecard to keep in touch, for birthday and Christmas presents, instead of the more usual gifts for teenagers.
"We looked out for each other. Michael would keep an eye out on me and I would do the same for him. He was my brother and we were the only ones here, so we only had each other, really."
The pair attended South Otago High School. Miss Hutchings will return there soon for her last year.
Mr Hutchings left school as soon as he could.
Working on the land was his love and although he loathed his school work, he enjoyed his agricultural studies and graduated with farming-based qualifications the end of 2006.
He loved his Playstation and had a passion for motorcycles, to the point where a motorcycle track was formed at the family's Benhar home when they lived in the small settlement near Balclutha.
His body was cremated yesterday and a memorial service will be held in Balclutha tomorrow.
His mother, Lyn, was expected in New Zealand today to complete arrangements.
Police have traced the steel bars used to weigh Mr Hutchings' body to a Mosgiel industrial firm.
Detective Inspector Ross Pinkham said investigations were continuing, to find out where the bars were made and where they had been since they were used by the Mosgiel firm.
Information about the bars came from the public, who had also contacted police in relation to the nylon string used to tie the body up.
Traces of blood where found in the Mitsubishi station wagon parked at Mr Hutchings' address, Mr Pinkham said.
It was too early to say if it was Mr Hutchings' blood.
- NZPA
