As rumours circulate and questions remain unanswered, Police are growing increasingly concerned that something untoward happened to 20-year-old Israel Jack in Rotorua on 18 August and are treating his death as suspicious.
Mr Jack was found dead on Te Ngae Road after an emergency call was made at 4.25am. It has been established that at least two vehicles had struck him while he lay prone on the road.
What is still unclear is why he was lying in the road, how he managed to travel 1.4km in about five minutes during the last leg of his walk home from town, and why his cap was found approximately 400m from where he was found deceased..
Police have carried out significant area enquiries, continue to trawl through CCTV footage and have initiated a number of media appeals none of which have established a plausible or innocent explanation that would explain the circumstances that led to Mr Jack's death.
Detective Senior Sergeant Zane Smith: "In the absence of answers to a number of questions we are treating Mr Jack's death as suspicious. Although the Police work on fact not speculation, we also cannot ignore the rumours circulating that suggest Mr Jack was picked up in a vehicle and subject to foul play before being left on the road.
"We are not going to just determine this was a road accident and move on. Mr Jack's family deserve to know what happened that morning and we will continue to dig until we find some satisfactory answers."
Police want to take the opportunity to remind the community that all information received will be treated in the strictest of confidence and the independent Crimestoppers charity provides a means of passing on information with guaranteed anonymity.
"We urge anyone with information to do the right thing by Mr Jack and his family and tell us what they know whether directly or through an anonymous channel," said Senior Sergeant Smith.
The focus of the enquiry remains on the stretch of Te Ngae Road between the Caltex Service station at the Owhata Road intersection and the MacDonalds restaurant.
Police are particularly interested in information about any vehicles or people that stopped to speak to Mr Jack or pick him up. They are also interested in details of any vehicles that suffered damage on or around the 18th August, or vehicles that have had repairs or alterations to disguise damage.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Rotorua Police on 07 348 0099. Alternatively information can be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Media enquiries should be referred to Communications Manager Kim Perks on 027 234 8256.