Police have confirmed that the body discovered in bush on the Coromandel Peninsula on Monday is that of missing Auckland man Cem Erbay.
The 19-year-old disappeared while walking home from a New Year's celebration in Whitianga. His body was found in a scrub area of a pine plantation in Matarangi, about 20 kilometres north of Whitianga.
Police say the crime scene examination has been concluded and Mr Erbay's body was taken by launch from Matarangi to Auckland on Tuesday afternoon for a post-mortem on Wednesday.
They say Mr Erbay's family were present during a scene examination on Tuesday, are understandably upset and have asked for privacy at this time.
A Waikato police spokesperson, Andrew McAlley, says detectives are treating the death as suspicious until they can establish how it happened, and they are appealing for people who saw Mr Erbay to come forward.
