New South Wales police have entered their second day searching for human remains after a human torso was found in bushland on Sydney's lower north shore.
Police were called to Lane Cove North about 2.30pm on Wednesday after receiving “a number of reports from members of the public†regarding a strong odour in the area, Supt Paul Devaney told media on Thursday morning.
Officers found a sofa containing human remains consisting of “a torso … devoid of head, arms and legs†about five metres off the roadway, Devaney said.
There were signs the body, believed to be that of an adult male, had been there for “at least a couple of daysâ€.
The quiet suburban street remained cordoned off to locals, who watched several police cars and detectives line the narrow street on Thursday morning. Groups of officers conducted ground searches.
Local resident Rodney Campbell said he walks his dog, Mochi, “pretty much every day along this streetâ€. The 60-year-old said he knew something was wrong when he saw police scouting his usual walking route on Wednesday afternoon.
“There was two cars and there was one policeman there, the others were presumably in the bush,†he said. “I'm a bit shocked, I guess, because this doesn't happen in this area. It's usually very quiet here.â€
Campbell grimaced as he tried to describe the “very strong smellâ€, and said “yesterday was the first day we smelled itâ€.
“I assumed it actually was a dead animal. I've smelled it on farms and things before, like a dead cow or something. But not one that's just been recently dead, I'm talking one that's been dead for a very long time.â€
Campbell has lived in the area for almost 30 years and said the bushland has often been a problem for illegal dumping “because it's steep†and “goes down†off the street.
“Stuff does get dumped here … just rubbish, the sort of stuff that people would throw away and don't want to take to the tip,†he said.
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Amthea, another local who requested her full name not be published, was also walking her dog on Thursday morning.
She said it was “very scary and out of character for this areaâ€, and that she could remember only “one other major incident†in the 21 years she had lived there.
“I'm very surprised. It's generally a very quiet area. Many of us walk those bushes every day, often by ourselves with our dogs. My daughter does walk there almost daily,†she said. “So I just would like to understand what happened, so that we can feel comfortable continuing to use the bushes.â€
Detectives together with the state's homicide squad launched an investigation, with the Aviation Command (PolAir) and cadaver dog also called in.
Members of the public with information, including dashcam or security camera footage that may be relevant, were urged to contact police.
Devaney sought to reassure Lane Cove residents that there was no apparent threat to locals.
“There is no indication that this person met foul play within the area of Lane Cove. But it is very early stages in the investigation and we are still undertaking numerous and comprehensive inquiries,†he said.
