Wellington: A homeless New Zealand man whose dismembered body was found crushed in cardboard bales was likely picked up by a recycling truck while sleeping rough, police said Thursday.
The remains of Daniel Bindner were found on Tuesday at a cardboard processing plant in Hamilton, about 30 kilometres from his hometown of Te Awamutu in the North Island.
Police investigating the grisly discovery said the 40-year-old father-of-three was last seen on June 21 and had been reported missing on Monday.
They said he was believed to have been sleeping rough in the days before his death.
“At this stage, we believe Mr Binder’s body was transported from the Te Awamutu area in a recycling truck to Oji Fibre Solutions in Hamilton,” Detective Inspector Hywel Jones said.
Cardboard at the plant is processed into bales.
Jones said a post mortem into the cause of death had proved inconclusive and the investigation was continuing, appealing for witnesses who saw Bindner on the streets.
He said the dead man was estranged from his family, which explained the long delay in the missing persons report.
Local media reported police were searching a landfill Thursday for further body parts.
