Police confirm identity of Canterbury body

A hearse taking the body away yesterday (Emma Cropper)
A hearse taking the body away yesterday (Emma Cropper)

The body was taken away yesterday by a hearse (Emma Cropper)

Police have confirmed the identity of the man found dead in Canterbury on Monday. 

He is 36-year-old Marcus Luke Tucker of Christchurch. 

Police have searched Lake Ellesmere with the national dive squad today in an effort to widen the search for evidence relating to Mr Tucker's death.

It's believed the body may have been there for some time over the weekend. He was found on Drain Rd near Doyleston, southwest of Christchurch. 

He was forensically identified, police say, as the body is understood to have been found burnt. 

Detective Inspector Tom Fitzgerald reassured the community police are "thoroughly investigating the circumstances of Marcus' death" and says thoughts are with the family.

Police continued to search Drain Rd today, scouring the roadside for clues. An email was sent to all petrol stations in the wider Canterbury area, asking for information on petrol transactions of $30 or less from last Wednesday until Monday this week. They were also asked to report any suspicious behaviour. 

The identification will come as relief to locals in the area who were frustrated by the lack of information from police. A local man says he was "a bit shocked" after learning of the death, saying Doyleston is a quiet, rural area. 

Police searching along Drain Rd for clues this afternoon (Emma Cropper)

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