Man whose body decomposed in house for a year had lived there with wife, son
By Cloe Read
Police have released photos of a man whose decomposed body was found in his Gold Coast home, with detectives believing it was there more than 12 months.
Gold Coast detectives from the homicide unit were appealing for information about Tomislav Nemes, 69, who was found dead at the Benowa house in April.
Police had been called to conduct a welfare check at the Edinburgh Road property by relatives interstate.
Detectives believe the body of Tomislav Nemes was at his house for more than a year.Credit: Queensland Police
Detectives were treating the death as suspicious, and investigations have determined Nemes might have been dead at the property for more than a year.
Detective Acting Inspector Mark Proctor said reports the body was “mummified” were not true but that it was in an “advanced state of decomposition”.
“It did have a mummified look to it, if that’s what you mean, but there was no attempt to preserve the body in any way, it wasn’t wrapped or anything like that.”
Police were alerted to the home after relatives lost touch with Nemes over the years, and found it “unusual” they had not heard from him for some time.
Neighbours had not made reports to police.
The Benowa home in which Nemes was found.Credit: Queensland Police
Property records indicated Nemes had for several years owned the house, which sold for $1.5 million and backed onto Lake June.
In June, the Queensland Law Society made a public post asking the whereabouts of his will, and for people to contact Canberra firm Aulich Civil Law.
Photos from when the property was listed for sale in 2008.
Nemes, from the ACT, moved to Queensland in 2018, and detectives urged any friends, family or associates who might have been in contact with him in recent years to come forward.
Proctor said Nemes had been living at his home with his 70-year-old wife and his 48-year-old son.
“They are certainly persons of interest, they were inside the house at the time,” he said, adding he believed they were still living at the home.
Nemes moved to Queensland in 2018.Credit: Queensland Police
Proctor would not elaborate on what the family had said to police, but said they were co-operating.
He said police were not looking to lay charges at this stage.
Police were investigating if someone had interfered with the body.
“The exact cause of death is yet to be determined,” Proctor said, adding that Nemes had not had life-threatening illnesses.
Detectives also urged anyone who had been at the property in recent years to contact police.