The examination of an Opotiki house at the centre of a eastern Bay of Plenty homicide investigation may last a couple more days as police go through it in detail.
Police were called to the Windsor St house yesterday by a neighbour, and discovered its sole resident, John Alan Rowe, 78, dead.
Police said Mr Rowe had suffered extensive injuries but have refused to disclose how he may have died, or whether a weapon had been found.
A post-mortem was expected to be completed tomorrow.
Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Standen of Whakatane CIB said the property was central to the inquiry and could provide a lot of information.
"We've got a significant amount of areas of interest within the scene that we would like examined closely," he told Radio New Zealand.
"That is going to give us - hopefully - an indication of who has been in this house and hopefully will indicate who is responsible."
About 30 police from around the Bay of Plenty region were working on the case and canvassing the neighbourhood, and the scene could remained closed off for another couple of days while ESR specialists work there.
Police were urging the Opotiki community to assist them by providing any information they may have about the death, or suspicious movements in the Windsor, Richard, Ford or St John streets overnight on Monday.
