VIDEO: Police search for two men after Warilla man charged in Matthew Davis murder

A Warilla man charged with the murder of Lake Illawarra’s Matthew Davis was known to the 31-year-old, police say, as the search continues for two more men believed to be involved.

A 65-year-old man charged with the murder of Matthew Davis was known to the 31-year-old Lake Illawarra man, according to police, as the search continues for two more men believed to be involved.

Officers from Strike Force Sienna arrested Stephen William Staff at a home on Belfast Ave, Warilla at about 7am on May 18, before taking him to Lake Illawarra Police Station where he was charged with murder.

Items of clothing and notepads were also seized for forensic examination.

In the wake of the arrest more than eight months after Mr Davis’ death, Detective Chief Inspector Glen Broadhead has renewed calls for the public to help locate two men also believed to be involved in the incident.

“We‘ve circulated some CCTV footage which shows three males we believe were walking in the area at night,” he said.

A man has been charged following an investigation into the suspected murder of a man in the Illawarra last year. Picture: NSW Police

“We believe these males will be able to assist us with our investigation, and we’d like to try and identify who they might be.”

Emergency services were called to a property on Thomas St, Lake Illawarra at about 9.30pm on August 23, 2021 after reports that the body of a man had been found inside the home, which was later identified as Mr Davis.

According to the Court Attendance Notice, police allege Mr Davis was murdered sometime between 8.20pm on August 21 and 1.45am the following day, more than 36 hours before his body was discovered.

Inspector Broadhead said Mr Davis had suffered “significant” injuries, while forensic investigators established that the cause of death was blunt force cranial facial trauma with neck compression

As a result, the death had initially not been investigated as suspicious, but was later revised after examination from a forensic pathologist.

“Originally, we weren’t completely sure as to what the cause of death was, and that certainly does change the way in which we look at it ,” Inspector Broadhead said.

“But, once we had that exact cause of death, it certainly changed the way in which we moved forward and progressed.”

Inspector Broadhead said the investigators had also established a connection between Mr Davis and the accused.

Matthew Davis was found dead in his Lake Illawarra home in 2021. Picture: NSW Police

“We’ve been able to establish that the person that’s been involved in the incident that has actually been charged does have some form of connection with the victim, in the sense that he has previously had dealings with the victim prior to the incident,” he said.

“We’ve also been able to identify a number of witnesses who’ve been able to provide us with background information in relation to the victim and the perpetrator.”

The Lake Illawarra Police District established Strike Force Sienna to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr Davis’ death.

Staff appeared briefly in court on Thursday, where he did not apply for bail and it was formally refused. He will reappear in Wollongong Local Court on Friday.