Retired Opotiki teacher John Rowe died of serious head injuries after a violent and cowardly attack while he lay in his bed, police said today.
Items of interest had been recovered from near Mr Rowe's bed and were being examined by the ESR.
A number of items thought to belong to Mr Rowe had also been found in nearby streets by an Auckland-based police specialist search team, Detective Inspector Rob Jones said.
The 78-year-old man was found in his Windsor St home by a neighbour who had arrived to take him to the doctor on Tuesday morning.
The slaying shocked the small eastern Bay of Plenty town which seldom had to face such horrific crimes, said police.
"The post mortem examination has now been concluded and it has been established that the victim died as a result of suffering serious head injuries," Mr Jones said.
"The attack on the victim was especially violent and cowardly and took place in his bedroom."
Police believed that a number of people in the community held the key to solving Mr Rowe's murder, and urged anyone with some knowledge of what happened to contact them.
"Members of the Opotiki community have been extremely helpful to date and appear deeply shocked by the level of violence used during the assault on the elderly victim," Mr Jones said.
Neighbours heard people break into Mr Rowe's garage about 3am on Tuesday, apparently in an attempt to steal his car.
Mr Rowe, a retired teacher and seaman with two adult children, had lived a quiet life since his wife had died 17 years ago, The New Zealand Herald said.
He moved to Opotiki in 1968, and taught maths at Opotiki College before retiring in 1984.
