Grindr, purple car investigated into mysterious Broulee death
Homicide detectives are investigating whether social media played a part in the suspicious death of a man found lying in bushland on the south coast.
Illawarra Star
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Detectives believe a man whose body was found lying in bushland on the south coast may have driven there from Canberra to see someone he met on dating app Grindr.
The 56-year-old Canberra man’s body was discovered lying in bushland 300m from Grant and McNee streets at Broulee on Sunday.
He was wearing blue jeans, a sleeveless top and white sneakers.
Homicide Squad commander Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said the Canberra man had travelled to the area before and borrowed the car from a friend.
Police released an image of the purple Honda Jazz with Canberra numberplates YFD 00H, in the hope a member of the public may come forward to assist the investigation.
“The Broulee area’s a small community,’’ Supt Doherty said.
“We hope someone may have information that may be able to assist, that may have sighted this vehicle, may have dashcam footage of the Honda or they may have knowledge of people using those dating apps that meet in that area around Broulee.
“Initial inquiries suggest the man may have made arrangements to meet up with a person he may have connected with through some online dating sites such as Grindr.
“He was known to have used a number of dating apps and one of them was Grindr.”
The man’s family has been informed of the death but has not formally identified him yet.
“A post mortem examination will be conducted this week to determine the man’s cause of death but detectives are treating this as a suspicious death,’’ Supt Doherty said.
Police would not elaborate on the state the man’s body was discovered.
“All I can is the body was located a short distance from the vehicle in bushland and, from the nature of the way he was found, the circumstances appear to be suspicious and we are treating this as a homicide investigation,’’ Supt Doherty said.