Death of Palmerston North man remains a mystery a month after body found in central park

Thursday, 11 March 2021

Owen Wildbore-Brumby cleaning up a miniature train engine at Victoria Esplanade in 2010.

The wind spinners and candles have been taken away; the only markers of where a body once lay are the countless questions in the air concerning the circumstances of his death.

The makeshift shrine for Owen Charles Wildbore-Brumby, who was found dead in a garden in Te Marae o Hine/The Square on February 16, has been carefully packed up and given to family, as police continue with pleas to the public for help solving the case.

Despite the 40 year old’s body being found in the city’s busiest park, under the watch of 16 CCTV cameras, his last hours remain in the shadows. His death is unexplained.

The last confirmed sighting of Wildbore-Brumby was in Te Marae o Hine three days earlier, while his friend Awhena Peachey said she found items of his clothing inside the nearby, long vacant, High Flyers building.

Friends of the late Owen Wildbore-Brumby place items near where his body was found. They have now been collected and given to family.

The dilapidated former High Flyers building, often used by street people, including Owen Wildbore-Brumby, whose body was found nearby in Te Marae o Hine/The Square on February 16.

* Circumstances of man's death still unknown despite presence of closed circuit cameras

* Candlelight memorial held for man found dead in city centre

* Friends farewell man whose body was found in central Palmerston North

The owner of the neglected High Flyers building has a well-maintained home in St Heliers, Auckland.

It is possible Wildbore-Brumby, who often lived on the street, had squatted in the building, but the discovery of blood in several rooms raised fears of something more macabre.

Detective Carl Newton would not comment about High Flyers and has encouraged the public to let police do the investigating.

The building appears to have been a haunt for street people for some time.

Palmerston North's Safe City Trust manager Steve Williams said its hosts have helped police remove people from High Flyers in the past, but it hadn’t been a major point of concern.

“Overtime there is a small but steady occurrence of some individuals attempting to, or indeed entering, the building. It's a matter that the police have been involved in.”

High Flyers is owned by Palmerston Post Ltd. Stuff approached its sole director Alan Moyes at his palatial home in the seaside suburb of St Heliers, which had a capital value of $8.8 million.

He was give an opportunity to comment the building’s security, sanitation and disrepair, but did not want to answer questions.

“I’ve got no comment to make, thank you,” he said, via his intercom.

The candles, flowers and toys that made up the tribute were this week collected by Palmerston North City Council and given to Wildbore-Brumby’s family.

Mayor Grant Smith said due to Te Marae o Hine’s status as a marae it wasn’t a suitable location for a permanent memorial.

“Our team will be working with Owen’s family and friends to determine the best park or location for this seat or plaque to be,” he said.

Anyone with information pertinent to the case can phone 105 and quote file number 210217/3172, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.