Human skeletal remains have been identified as those of a man who went missing more than a year ago.
Police said on Wednesday that the remains, discovered on the Portobello coastline near Dunedin on March 23, were those of Murray Allen Wakefield, 55, who was reported missing from the nearby Deborah Bay area on May 13, 2025.
A member of the public located the remains at low tide and police were notified.
A number of inquiries on behalf of the coroner were carried out, police said, and the remains were formally identified as those of Wakefield.
“Police have notified his family and are offering them the necessary support,” a spokesperson said on Wednesday. “His death has been referred to the coroner.”
