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CID INVESTIGATING DEATH OF MAN FOUND IN MATU’U STREAM

Detectives with the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) are investigating the death of a Matu’u man they pulled out of a river in Matu’u, yesterday morning. Deputy Commissioner Leiseau Laumoli confirmed that the deceased was in his 40’s and that an investigation is underway, but it’s not clear at this moment, whether it is a homicide.

CID Commander, Lavata’i Ta’ase Sagapolutele, said that his entire unit of close to ten detectives are working on this case but declined to give further details about this case.

Samoa News arrived at the scene in Matu’u while CID detectives were interviewing people who live in the area near the stream where the body was found, which was cordoned off by police.

One of the witnesses, Tupu Aiono told Samoa News that he had been drinking with the deceased, who was his cousin.   Aiono said he had arrived in the territory from Utah earlier in November for a funeral.

“I only met him last night (Thursday) when he came with my cousin to my house and we drank beer and after his fourth bottle, he left.  I could tell he was drunk so we told him to go home and get some rest.  Then he left, but I don’t know he may have gone somewhere else, but I was surprised to be awakened by my mother this morning (Friday) to find that he (deceased) was found in the river behind our house” said Aiono. 

“I came outside and saw him (deceased) facing down, with his pants half down, I don’t know maybe he slipped down when he was trying to urinate or what”.

Police sources said the call to the Department of Public Safety was from a woman around 7:15 am Friday morning and she said that she found the body in the Matu’u stream when she was on her way to take her children to school.

The body was taken to the morgue by the Emergency Medical Services, where the man was officially pronounced dead around 9am yesterday morning.

People from Matu’u said the deceased, who lives in Matu’u, does not live in the area where he was found. Police are withholding the identity of the deceased.