Police have launched a homicide investigation at Rimutaka Prison, Upper Hutt, after an inmate was found dead at the prison this morning.
Detective Inspector Rod Drew, Wellington District field crime manager and inquiry head, says the body of the 51-year-old male prisoner was found outside one of the buildings but within the prison compound.
“There appears to have been an altercation amongst some prisoners and we’re currently treating the death as a homicide,†Mr Drew says. “A post mortem will be held tonight to establish the cause of death.â€
Mr Drew says a team of 25 detectives and general duties police are working on the inquiry which is expected to take several days.
Police won’t be releasing the prisoner’s name until all his immediate family have been notified.
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