NSW: Man's body found in police hunt for dead woman's husband

AAP General News (Australia)
12-01-2003
NSW: Man's body found in police hunt for dead woman's husband

By Vera Devai

SYDNEY, Dec 1 AAP - The body of a man was discovered in bushland today by police hunting
for the estranged husband of a woman found dead on the NSW central coast late last week.

A post-mortem examination is to be carried out on the man's body, found in the Blackbutt
Reserve near Newcastle by police investigating the suspicious death of Janelle Haviland
in Gosford on Friday.

Investigating officer Superintendent Alan Clarke said police had been searching for
the dead woman's estranged husband, John Haviland, but could not positively identify the
body found today.

"We are unable to speculate on the identity of that individual at this point in time,"

Supt Clarke said.

"However, we have significantly reduced the search and police presence within the park."

The bushland search for Mr Haviland was launched on Saturday, after police received
information on Friday that he may have been in the Blackbutt Reserve area, Supt Clarke
said.

They had held fears for Mr Haviland's safety, he added.

Police today refused to link the second death with that of Mrs Haviland, ahead of a
post mortem examination to be carried out on the man's body in Newcastle tomorrow.

Mrs Haviland, 40, was found dead by police a little after midday on Friday, after they
were called to a house in Dwyer Street at North Gosford.

The nature of her injuries and the discovery of a firearm in the house led police to
treat the death as suspicious.

A preliminary post-mortem examination was conducted on Mrs Haviland's body over the
weekend, but the cause of her death has not yet been confirmed.

Police will prepare a report for the coroner.

AAP ved/kbw/tma/de

KEYWORD: HAVILAND NIGHTLEAD

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