Head in sand: Strings attached

by Annette Lambly | 30th November 2009

An Australian tourist who found a human skull on a Northland beach says guitar strings and guitar pick accompanied the grisly find.

The skull was found in sandhills  near Glinks Gully , a holiday settlement on the coast southwest of Dargaville this month and police investigating the case say they now know how the person died - but not much more.

The skull had also been the subject of an earlier autopsy before it was found.

The tourist said the guitar strings and guitar pick found with the skull  suggested foul play, a sentimental burial or they could have ended up with the skull by coincidence.

 "I feel the last option is highly unlikely given the amount of beach to lose guitar strings on. Some of these guitar strings were steel, and were not overly rusted, suggesting they were not there for a long time.

"Being very familiar with guitar strings, I am positive that is what they were."

Exceptionally high spring tides had uncovered the skull from its sandy grave two to three metres above the beach.

The witness said when the skull was removed from the beach there was a small amount of skin and hair still attached.

The witness said given the environment, and the fact the guitar strings were not too rusty  suggested the skull had been in the sand for no more than 12 months, probably less.

Dargaville police could not be contacted for comment but last week Inspector Paul Dimery said police believe they know the cause of death of the person, but have not said whether they know who the person is.

He said there were signs in the skull of how the person died, although he would not reveal any further details until he had seen the autopsy report.

Inspector Dimery would not comment on whether the skull had a bullet hole in it or if the person had died from trauma.

 Police were now focusing on how the skull got to where it was found in Glinks Gully. He said "at this stage" it was not the subject of a homicide inquiry.