Police in Dunedin have found a weapon they believe was involved in the death of a man, whose body was discovered at the Blueskin Bay Estuary on Friday.
Investigators say they are not ruling out the possibility other weapons were involved.
The man, 23, was discovered on a beach north of the city by two members of the public about 8am.
Police say he died in what appear to be gruesome circumstances.
About 40 police personnel, including specialist forensic and scene search teams are continuing to search an area behind Warrington beach.
A post-mortem revealed the man had numerous blunt force trauma injuries to his head, hands and arms.
Police will not say what kind of weapon was found.
However, they are also interested in sightings of a white Mazda 626 Saloon with registration number PK4943 that was taken on Thursday night from Dunedin and found on Saturday on State Highway One, south of Moeraki.
The car will be forensically tested.
The dead man has not been formally identified.
