Mystery still surround the death of a Charters Towers gold prospector found dead at Pentland

THE body of a Charters Towers prospector found dead in remote country north of Pentland has been brought to Townsville as police try and piece together the man’s final movements.

Dead person

THE body of a Charters Towers prospector found in remote country north of Pentland has been moved to Townsville as police try to piece together the man’s final movements.

It is believed Francis Brenton, 57, went prospecting with another man around December 11 on Oakvale Station, an area renowned for its gold.

Mr Brenton was reported missing by the second prospector on Tuesday morning before his ute was found abandoned near a creek.

His body was later found by a helicopter in rugged terrain.

Senior Townsville police were yesterday still reluctant to confirm if the man’s death was being treated as a murder investigation.

“It is still unknown how the man died,” Detective Inspector Kelly Harvey said. “Next of kin have been notified but the family are awaiting the results of a positive identification.

“The man will undergo an au­topsy to ascertain a cause of death.”

Insp Harvey said a number of people, including the man who reported Mr Brenton missing, had been interviewed by police.

“He has been very co-operative … and at this stage he is just a witness and not a person of interest,” she said.

The station, 90 minutes west of Charters Towers, remained a crime scene yesterday as forensic crews ­investigated two separate sites.

It is understood police are not searching for a weapon.

A businessman involved in gold detection in the goldfields region, who wished to remain anonymous, yesterday said Mr Brenton was an “experienced bushman”.

“He’s been a local as long as I can remember and on properties most of his life and he had worked on that property in the past,” the man said.

“A lot of (the station) is just river flats but to the north it’s extremely rugged, mountainous country so searching would have been difficult.

“It’s generally a fairly quiet area so this is a bit unusual.”

The man said the area was a popular spot for prospectors to search.

“People have been detecting gold at Oakvale Station for a long time with little bits here and there, but there have been no big pieces found as far I’m aware,” he said.

Originally published as Mystery still surround the death of a Charters Towers gold prospector found dead at Pentland