Police have released the identity of a man whose remains were found in the Maribyrnong River.
Brendan David Bernard, 32, was last seen in Melbourne’s CBD on Tuesday afternoon, January 27. His remains were found in the river in Melbourne’s north-west a little more than a week later on Thursday, February 5.
The North Melbourne man was known to police, but homicide squad investigators have been unable to establish a motive for his death or the gruesome dismemberment.
Our earlier report: Maribyrnong River: Police identify Melbourne man’s limbs
Investigators released his identity in the hope it would help establish Mr Bernard’s movements in the lead-up to his death.
An unsuspecting passer-by found the first of several body parts that floated to the surface across four days with a handful of locals drawn into the investigation after they too came across remains.
Police divers searched the river’s murky waters for about a week in an attempt to recover as much of Mr Bernard’s remains as possible, but were hampered by tidal patterns.
They also had difficulty identifying the remains, leading them to release an image of a tattoo found on Mr Bernard’s forearm in the hope his family or friends would recognise it.
Homicide squad Inspector Mick Hughes said it was a “tragic” way for relatives to find out. He said the release of the image led to a close relative coming forward.
Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 or submit an anonymous report on www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
This story first appeared in The Age
