Homicide mystery as man found dead in own car on rural road

Four days after a man was found dead in his own car on a rural road in north Queensland, police are still waiting to interview a friend who was with him on his last night alive.

Brisbane homicide investigators have been sent north to investigate the death of the 21-year-old, who lived in the Townsville suburb of Vincent.

He was found unresponsive in a silver 2003 Subaru Forester on Webb Road, south of Townsville and near the tiny town of Woodstock, about 8.45am on Saturday.

Police have released this photo of the Subaru Forester in which the man was found dead south of Townsville.Credit: Queensland Police

He had no clear injuries and police are yet to reveal how he died.

“The cause of death wasn’t apparent ... but it’s definitely a homicide,” Detective Inspector Jason Shepherd told reporters on Wednesday.

Multiple witnesses told police they saw the man in the vehicle driving erratically with another caucasian male the night before on a nearby property.

Police believe the other man may have been a 26-year-old friend, who was picked up by a passing driver on Dingo Park Road in a volatile state the morning the body was found.

He was dropped at a roadhouse in Calcium, where he allegedly climbed into a B-double without permission and drove about 10 metres before police were called and he was arrested.

The friend – who is in custody on matters unrelated to the death – has been named as a person of interest, but is yet to be formally interviewed.

“We’ve got an open mind … we can’t rule out that there was a third person involved,” Shepherd said.

“We can put the man and his friend with the vehicle at various times throughout the night.”

The small SUV has been seized for forensic testing.

Homicide investigators have established a taskforce dubbed Operation Whiskey Koba.

Anyone with information or footage from nearby streets is urged to contact Queensland Police.

“Anyone who may have seen the two men … on either Friday night or Saturday morning is encouraged to come forward,” Shepherd said.

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