Aussie found dead in Bali 'may have been murdered'

The Australian tourist was found in Nusa Dua in Bali. Photo / Thinkstock

Police suspect an Australian man found dead on the side of a road near a popular resort area in Bali may have been murdered.

It was initially thought Mark Ovenden, from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, may have died after falling from his motorcycle.

The 34-year-old's body was discovered last Thursday morning under a bush on the side of a road in Nusa Dua, about 45 minutes' drive from Bali's international airport.

His body was discovered near a motorcycle, while belongings such as a silver ring, a wristwatch, and a wallet containing Rp600,000 (about A$60) and a credit card were found on Mr Ovenden.

But police now suspect he may have been killed at another location and dumped in bushes where he was found by a local farmer.

"Based on the temporary investigation, there is strong suspicion that this is a murder case involving more than one perpetrator," a police source told AAP.

"We suspect that where the body was found was a secondary crime scene, where the body was dumped."

"There are car tracks at the scene."

An autopsy carried out by forensic specialists at Sanglah Hospital in Denpasar has revealed the primary cause of death was asphyxiation.

It has also been revealed that there was evidence of blunt force trauma on Ovenden's neck.

"The autopsy found evidence of several blunt force trauma on the face, head, neck and chest. The cause of death is asphyxiation caused by strong pressure on the neck," Sanglah Hospital forensic department chief Dr Dudut Rustyadi said.

"It could be the result of strong pressure applied with a wooden stick or some other hard object. But it certainly is not caused by strangulation, because we didn't find circular blunt trauma around the neck."

The police estimated that Ovenden had been dead for 24 hours before his body was found.

Ovenden was on a surfing trip in Bali with another friend. He had been missing for two days before his body was found.

He grew up in Woombye, about 100km north of Brisbane, and went to school in Nambour on the Sunshine Coast.

He had worked as a cook on trawlers and also as a surfing instructor at Maroochydore.

- AAP