Murder investigation underway after Tanilba Bay man David King, 45, shot dead at Salt Ash
A murder investigation has commenced after Tanilba Bay man David King, 45, died after being shot in the head by an unknown passenger.
Police & Courts
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It is a dead end road in a semirural setting which is popular for retirees, families and, at times, drug dealers.
The scene where Tanilba Bay man David King, 45, was shot and left for dead is just a few hundred metres from busy Nelson Bay Rd, the only arterial route between the Tomaree peninsula and the rest of Australia.
But it is also away from the prying eyes of authorities, seen as a middle ground for a criminal underbelly where street dealers from the peninsulas to the east can meet up with up-level dealers from the city in relative safety.
But not on Sunday afternoon.
It is one of those meetings which detectives now believe led to the brazen daylight murder of Mr King, shot in the head while driving his Ford Ranger utility by an unknown passenger.
A broken letter box on Hideaway Drive shows where Mr King first left the road, before attempting a U-turn only to crash into a tree on the other side of the lonely street.
As he fell from the driver’s door and took his last breaths, Mr King’s killer is believed to have jumped out of the still revving white utility and boarded another car, still with the murder weapon in his hands.
The Santa Fe roared off back towards Nelson Bay Rd, almost certainly onto Cabbage Tree Rd before taking a right into Masonite Rd where it was torched about 15km from the murder scene.
As the shooter and his accomplices made their getaway, shocked residents came to the aid of Mr King, but even with the expert help of paramedics, he could not be saved.
Strike Force Breve, made up of Port Stephens-Hunter detectives, some northern region counterparts and the homicide squad, was immediately established to investigate Mr King’s brutal murder.
On Monday afternoon, they described the shooting as a “targeted attack’’, with police sources also confirming they are almost certain it was a drug deal turned deadly.
Mr King was known to police and lived just a few kilometres away at Tanilba Bay on the picturesque Tilligery peninsula.
The hunt is now on for the shooter and the rest of the getaway gang.
“We have been inundated so far with information from members of the public,’’ Port Stephens-Hunter police district commander Superintendent Chad Gillies said.
“I would encourage people to continue to do that in relation to contacting Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Raymond Terrace police station.
“My investigators are now working around the clock trying to identify those responsible for this incident.
“What I can say is that the firearm that was used in the incident has not yet been recovered.’’
Supt Gillies later added: ‘”We are working on a number of strong lines of enquiry at the moment, it is too early to speculate on a motive for the incident but certainly we have been inundated so far with information from the public.’’
And also: “The early indications are the person was in the car with Mr King. We can’t confirm definitively how many people were in the car at the time of the collision and that is one thing our investigators are now working through.’’
The murder occurred at 1.45pm, with forensic experts remaining at both the murder scene and the burnt out car at Heatherbrae for most of the night.
Specialist police returned to the crime scenes on Monday to conduct line searches in a bid to uncover any further evidence.
Both vehicles were taken away for complete forensic analysis.
Detectives are keen to speak with anyone who may have seen Mr King’s white Ford Ranger utility or a white Hyundai Santa Fe in the Salt Ash, Raymond Terrace and Heatherbrae areas between 8am and 3pm on Sunday.
Anyone with dashcam footage is also urged to contact Raymond Terrace police or Crime Stoppers.
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