Man charged over alleged murder of Elvis impersonator Bernie Peri

A beloved Elvis impersonator has been identified as the victim of an alleged murder in NSW’s central west.

A man who almost died after falling from a balcony in 2018 has been charged with murder, after an Elvis Presley impersonator was found dead in his Parkes home following a night of karaoke at the local pub.

Bernie Peri’s body was found inside his home in NSW’s central west on Sunday afternoon, after a concerned friend visited his home to check on him around 1.40pm.

Police launched Strike Force Brentwood to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr Peri’s death, and on Tuesday arrested 28-year-old musician Marshall Karaitiana more than 100 kilometres away at his home in Tullamore.

Elvis impersonator Bernie Peri was found dead at his Parkes home. Picture: supplied

Marshall Karaitiana has been charged with murder after the body of Elvis impersonator Bernie Peri was found on November 10. Picture: Facebook

He was charged with murder and spent Tuesday night in police cells, before briefly appearing at Parkes Local Court on Wednesday.

In 2018, Karaitiana narrowly survived a fall from a balcony, which left him fighting for life with skull fractures and breaks to multiple parts of his body.

He gained notoriety during his recovery after Love Island winner Grant Crapp shared half of his winning with Karaitiana, his childhood best friend, to assist with his rehabilitation.

“He’s just come out of life support so I want to give half of my money to his family because they’re struggling a little bit and I want to see him recover 100 per cent,” Crapp said at the time.

Mr Peri – a well-known musician in the local area – has performed multiple times at the Parkes Elvis Festival and is a regular fixture at the town’s pubs.

He was last seen alive at Parkes’ Royal Hotel on Saturday evening, where he spent the night singing karaoke and entertaining the locals.

Bernie Peri was found dead at his Parkes home on Sunday November 10. Picture: Facebook

Elvis impersonator Bernie Peri. Image: supplied

In a tribute to Facebook, the pub described him as a “beloved friend”.

“The Royal Hotel will be throwing an hour of power to celebrate the life of our dearest friend and patron,” the pub wrote online.

“To friends and family of Bernie, please feel welcome to head on down to the Royal Hotel Parkes between 4-5pm this Wednesday as we will be putting Bernie’s beer of choice, Carlton Dry at a discounted price so that we can all gather while enjoying one of his favourite brews.”