Man’s death outside his Wellington home was a homicide, police believe

Police say they are treating the death of a man found dead in the Wellington suburb of Northland on Tuesday as a homicide.

65-year-old Simon Bird was found outside his Albemarle Road home on Tuesday.

Detective inspector Nick Pritchard told reporters the body was found after a friend requested a welfare check.

Bird was last seen on March 27 at 5pm, and police were now trying to piece together his movements between leaving his workplace in the central city, and when his body was found.

Police said he was a “fairly private person, and we don’t know a lot about Mr Bird.”

They wanted to hear from people who had interacted with him over the past few weeks, and to try and build a picture of his life.

Pritchard said police were “keeping an open mind” regarding people of interest.

Bird’s vehicle had also been recovered, and would undergo a forensic investigation – but how the vehicle fitted into the investigation was yet to be determined.

Northland residents would see more police in the neighbourhood over the next couple of days.

Pritchard said the public could be reassured they were safe, and the incidents over the past few weeks weren’t related.

Investigation teams were working long hours to find answers.

Police previously said they had brought in 15 extra investigators to help with the case load.

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