Latest news with #AlexanderMarinis
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Identity of man's body in river solved
An unknown man whose remains were found in a river on the Sunshine Coast more than a year ago has been identified as Victorian man Alexander Marinis. On November 30 2023, about 8am, members of the public were walking down the Maroochy River when they saw the body of a man floating in the water under the Talep Bridge. Police were called to the scene and deemed the death as non-suspicious. A year-and-a-half after the man's remains were located, his identity remained unknown – until now. Police have identified the man whose remains were found in a Queensland river. Qld Police Credit: News Corp Australia On Monday, Queensland Police confirmed the identity of the man as Alexander Marinis, 47, from Yarram in Victoria. He did not have any identification documents or a wallet at the time of his death. The man had no identifiable markers such as tattoos, dental implants or piercings. Police divers searched the river for any clues leading to the man's identity. On the bank of the river, police discovered some of the man's belongings, including a water bottle, jacket, shoes, an ATP-branded backpack and a receipt for a purchase made at a Bunnings three days before his remains were found. CCTV footage revealed the man purchased items at the hardware shop using a brown wallet that was not recovered at the scene. He has been identified as Alexander Marinis. Credit: Sunshine Coast Daily Police confirmed the man's identity was confirmed after a Centrelink staff member recognised his face from an ABC article. 'Great lengths were taken to identify the man over this period: door knocking, DNA testing, some work with Interpol around some surgical artefacts in the man's knee, which resulted in worldwide inquiries,' Queensland Police Detective Senior Sergeant Robert Lowry told reporters. 'The final piece of the puzzle was the DNA from the family, which led to a positive identification of the male.' The man's death has been deemed non-suspicious, and the 47-year-old's remains were returned to his family. Detective Yowry thanked those who assisted in the search to identify Mr Marinis. 'I sincerely thank the media and the public for their assistance in this investigation,' he said. 'A person, who had previously dealt with the man in a professional capacity in Maroochydore, recognised the man after seeing an appeal on the news and contacted police to share the information. 'This information led us to being able to confirm his identify through DNA testing and contact the man's family. 'I also want to thank the detectives that worked on this investigation with such perseverance and tenacity.' His mother Maree said her son was a 'decent and loyal person' who preferred time to himself. Credit: Supplied His mother Maree Bergamo said she learnt of her son's death on February 13, about 14 months after his remains were found in the river. She said her son was an 'intelligent, decent and loyal person' who frequently preferred to be on his own. She explained that he cut himself off from family, prompting her to hire a private investigator to track him down. He moved to Queensland and died a few weeks later. He was laid to rest in a private funeral last month, police said. 'Alex was a loner, sadly,' Ms Bergamo said at his funeral, per the ABC. 'Alex will always be remembered as a kind, decent and law-abiding person. 'He was a non-drinker and non-smoker. Alex was always loved and adored by my family. 'It's tragic that he didn't seek help.' Mental Health: Where to get help
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
‘Final piece of the puzzle': Man whose body found in Maroochy River identified as Alexander Marinis
An unknown man whose remains were found in a river on the Sunshine Coast more than a year ago has been identified as Victorian man Alexander Marinis. On November 30 2023, about 8am, members of the public were walking down the Maroochy River when they saw the body of a man floating in the water under the Talep Bridge. Police were called to the scene and deemed the death as non-suspicious. A year-and-a-half after the man's remains were located, his identity remained unknown – until now. On Monday, Queensland Police confirmed the identity of the man as Alexander Marinis, 47, from Yarram in Victoria. He did not have any identification documents or a wallet at the time of his death. The man had no identifiable markers such as tattoos, dental implants or piercings. Police divers searched the river for any clues leading to the man's identity. On the bank of the river, police discovered some of the man's belongings, including a water bottle, jacket, shoes, an ATP-branded backpack and a receipt for a purchase made at a Bunnings three days before his remains were found. CCTV footage revealed the man purchased items at the hardware shop using a brown wallet that was not recovered at the scene. Police confirmed the man's identity was confirmed after a Centrelink staff member recognised his face from an ABC article. 'Great lengths were taken to identify the man over this period: door knocking, DNA testing, some work with Interpol around some surgical artefacts in the man's knee, which resulted in worldwide inquiries,' Queensland Police Detective Senior Sergeant Robert Lowry told reporters. 'The final piece of the puzzle was the DNA from the family, which led to a positive identification of the male.' The man's death has been deemed non-suspicious, and the 47-year-old's remains were returned to his family. Detective Yowry thanked those who assisted in the search to identify Mr Marinis. 'I sincerely thank the media and the public for their assistance in this investigation,' he said. 'A person, who had previously dealt with the man in a professional capacity in Maroochydore, recognised the man after seeing an appeal on the news and contacted police to share the information. 'This information led us to being able to confirm his identify through DNA testing and contact the man's family. 'I also want to thank the detectives that worked on this investigation with such perseverance and tenacity.' His mother Maree Bergamo said she learnt of her son's death on February 13, about 14 months after his remains were found in the river. She said her son was an 'intelligent, decent and loyal person' who frequently preferred to be on his own. She explained that he cut himself off from family, prompting her to hire a private investigator to track him down. He moved to Queensland and died a few weeks later. He was laid to rest in a private funeral last month, police said. 'Alex was a loner, sadly,' Ms Bergamo said at his funeral, per the ABC. 'Alex will always be remembered as a kind, decent and law-abiding person. 'He was a non-drinker and non-smoker. Alex was always loved and adored by my family. 'It's tragic that he didn't seek help.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Identity of man's body in river solved
An unknown man whose remains were found in a river on the Sunshine Coast more than a year ago has been identified as Victorian man Alexander Marinis. On November 30 2023, about 8am, members of the public were walking down the Maroochy River when they saw the body of a man floating in the water under the Talep Bridge. Police were called to the scene and deemed the death as non-suspicious. A year-and-a-half after the man's remains were located, his identity remained unknown – until now. On Monday, Queensland Police confirmed the identity of the man as Alexander Marinis, 47, from Yarram in Victoria. He did not have any identification documents or a wallet at the time of his death. The man had no identifiable markers such as tattoos, dental implants or piercings. Police divers searched the river for any clues leading to the man's identity. On the bank of the river, police discovered some of the man's belongings, including a water bottle, jacket, shoes, an ATP-branded backpack and a receipt for a purchase made at a Bunnings three days before his remains were found. CCTV footage revealed the man purchased items at the hardware shop using a brown wallet that was not recovered at the scene. Police confirmed the man's identity was confirmed after a Centrelink staff member recognised his face from an ABC article. 'Great lengths were taken to identify the man over this period: door knocking, DNA testing, some work with Interpol around some surgical artefacts in the man's knee, which resulted in worldwide inquiries,' Queensland Police Detective Senior Sergeant Robert Lowry told reporters. 'The final piece of the puzzle was the DNA from the family, which led to a positive identification of the male.' The man's death has been deemed non-suspicious, and the 47-year-old's remains were returned to his family. Detective Yowry thanked those who assisted in the search to identify Mr Marinis. 'I sincerely thank the media and the public for their assistance in this investigation,' he said. 'A person, who had previously dealt with the man in a professional capacity in Maroochydore, recognised the man after seeing an appeal on the news and contacted police to share the information. 'This information led us to being able to confirm his identify through DNA testing and contact the man's family. 'I also want to thank the detectives that worked on this investigation with such perseverance and tenacity.' His mother Maree Bergamo said she learnt of her son's death on February 13, about 14 months after his remains were found in the river. She said her son was an 'intelligent, decent and loyal person' who frequently preferred to be on his own. She explained that he cut himself off from family, prompting her to hire a private investigator to track him down. He moved to Queensland and died a few weeks later. He was laid to rest in a private funeral last month, police said. 'Alex was a loner, sadly,' Ms Bergamo said at his funeral, per the ABC. 'Alex will always be remembered as a kind, decent and law-abiding person. 'He was a non-drinker and non-smoker. Alex was always loved and adored by my family. 'It's tragic that he didn't seek help.' Lifeline 13 11 14 Suicide call back service 1300 659 467 Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36 Mensline Australia 1300 78 99 78 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 1800 Respect 1800 737 732 13YARN 13 92 76 (For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Man whose body was found in Maroochy River identified after 14-month global search
A man whose identity puzzled Queensland detectives for more than a year after his body was found in a Sunshine Coast river has been laid to rest. Members of the public discovered the body of Victorian man Alexander Marinis in the Maroochy River in November 2023. He did not have a wallet or any identity documents. Police ruled out foul play but despite making several public appeals, Mr Marinis's identity remained unknown for more than a year. Earlier this year, detectives made a breakthrough. A Centrelink worker saw his face in an ABC story and remembered an interaction with him. That recollection was the crucial first step that led police to identify Mr Marinis. His body was brought home for a funeral in Melbourne last month, where he was farewelled by friends and family. Mr Marinis was 47. On Monday morning Detective Senior Sergeant Robert Lowry confirmed someone met Mr Marinis while they were working, recognised him in the public appeals, and contacted police. He said from there, police were able to confirm a name after more than a year of searching for answers. "Great lengths were taken to identify the man over this period: door knocking, DNA testing, some work with Interpol around some surgical artefacts in the man's knee, which resulted in worldwide inquiries," Detective Senior Sergeant Lowry said. Detective Senior Sergeant Lowry said Mr Marinis's death had been deemed non-suspicious and a report would be made to the coroner. "While this is a tragic circumstance, I'm pleased that we've been able to identify this man and give some closure to his family," he said. "It has been a lengthy and in-depth investigation spanning a number of years." Mr Marinis's mother, Maree Bergamo, said she was devastated to learn of her son's death when she was contacted by authorities earlier this year. His death came after he gradually, then completely withdrew, from his family 10 years ago. "I found out that he had passed on February 13, some 14 months after his death. "It was distressing to know that he had been deceased for such a long time." The case stirred strong public interest, with members of the public trying to help identify Mr Marinis in the weeks and months after his body was found. One person reported that a wallet with a driver's licence resembling the police photo was found in Coolum, but officers said it wasn't the right person. There were no matches to any missing persons reports across the country, and a global appeal through Interpol also failed to yield any results. The Australian Federal Police tried advanced genetic DNA testing but could not find a match across international databases. As a child, Mr Marinis was a talented athlete and still holds five records in discus, long jump and shot put at Collingwood Little Athletics club dating back to 1986. A former classmate said he was gifted and excelled in everything he did, particularly in sports, due to his height and athleticism. After withdrawing from his family, Mr Marinis moved to the small town of Yarram in Victoria's Gippsland region in 2015. He rented a home through a real estate agent and kept to himself, living a quiet life. Mr Marinis was known to politely greet people he walked past. A supermarket employee remembers seeing him frequent the store, but noted he always used the self-service check-out. Ms Bergamo had no way of contacting her son and didn't know where he lived. She hired a private investigator who eventually tracked him down. But when she went and knocked on his door, she was heartbroken when he wouldn't open up. Ms Bergamo exchanged phone numbers with a neighbour, who periodically provided reassuring updates. One day in October 2023, the neighbour called Ms Bergamo to say Mr Marinis was packing up to move to Queensland. Feeling concerned, she rang the real estate agent who said Mr Marinis had vacated his home, made his final rent payment and left without providing a forwarding address. Last year, Ms Bergamo hired another private investigator but they failed to find any trace of Mr Marinis. What she didn't know yet was that just weeks after moving to Queensland, he had died. At his funeral, Mr Marinis was remembered as an independent, intelligent, decent and talented person who was much-loved by his family. Ms Bergamo said her son would be deeply missed and she shared her pain at his decision to cut himself off from family. "Alex was a loner sadly," she said. "Alex will always be remembered as a kind, decent and law-abiding person. "He was a non-drinker and non-smoker. "Alex was always loved and adored by my family. Little is known about Mr Marinis's final movements or his state of mind in the weeks before he died. Police don't know how he travelled to Queensland, but they don't believe he drove a car. Phone records show he made two phone calls to emergency accommodation providers soon after he arrived on the Sunshine Coast. After that, his phone went dark, leading police to believe he may have lost his device. The only possessions that have ever been found were discovered on the bank of the Maroochy River about a week after Mr Marinis's body was found. The belongings included a distinctive APT backpack, a shoe, a water bottle, a jacket and — crucially — a Bunnings receipt. Police then obtained CCTV footage from the hardware store of a tall man wearing the same clothes, backpack and knee braces on November 27, three days before his body washed up. No-one came forward at the time despite repeated appeals from Queensland authorities. Ms Bergamo said her son had lost all his identity documents and he was likely homeless.
