Horror find in vacant Adelaide block ‘suspicious’ as police probe missing persons link

A gruesome discovery has been made in a vacant block in Adelaide’s north, with police probing a possible link to a man missing for two months.

Police are probing a potential link between a decomposing body found in tall grass on a vacant lot in Adelaide’s north and a man missing for more than two months.

The remains were found by a worker cutting grass on an empty block in Salisbury South about 2pm on Monday, with police unable to immediately identify the body and forensic tests ordered.

Investigations are now underway to determine whether the discovery is linked to a recent South Australian missing persons case.

It is understood police are reviewing the South Australian missing persons list, with particular interest in 55-year-old Geoffrey McLean, who was last seen at his home in Andrews Farm on August 18, The Advertiser reported.

Mr McLean was reported missing a day after he was last seen.

Andrews Farm is located around 20 minutes drive away from where the decomposing body was found.

Police are searching the property. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Detective Inspector Brett Featherby on Monday evening said major crime, along with Northern District CIB members and the forensic unit, would be at the scene for “quite some time” as a search of the paddock and surrounds was carried out.

“The remains are in such a state of decomposition at this stage we cannot tell the sex or the age of the deceased, and we currently don’t know how long the deceased has been in this location,” Inspector Featherby said.

“We’re going to have to require forensic testing to actually identify who the person is that we’ve located today.”

SAPOL believe the circumstances around how the body got to be on the property are suspicious.

Detective Inspector Brett Featherby said the circumstances were suspicious. Picture: Kitty Barr

Inspector Featherby said it was still very early in the investigation, but he revealed the property was last visited for maintenance in March earlier this year.

He said other items had been found at the scene, but neither those or the body were there at the last inspection in March.

On Tuesday morning, detectives returned to the scene, paying close attention to a group of trees and shrubs and nearby barrels.

Other items have also been found. Picture: Tom Huntley

Police paid close attention to a group of trees and shrubs. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Police are appealing to anyone who may have seen anyone near the block on 23 Cheviot Rd, Salisbury South to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Originally published as Horror find in vacant Adelaide block ‘suspicious’ as police probe missing persons link