By PATRICK GOWER
A group of motorcyclists who sped from a roadside near Thames where a man was stabbed and left dead may hold the key to finding his killer.
Damian Povey's body was found by a passerby on the side of State Highway 25 in the small industrial town of Kopu on Saturday evening.
A possible gang link and Mr Povey's violent history have been played down by police as the 19-strong team of officers steps up the hunt for the 35-year-old's killer.
Mr Povey was involved in a fight with Highway 61 members on the evening he died and police have cordoned off a nearby house lived in by one of the gang's members.
The head of Operation Kopu, Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Whitehead, said police did not believe the killing was related to a gang confrontation or Mr Povey's previous convictions.
"Just because there were gang members involved doesn't mean it was gang-related," he said. "Mr Povey's previous convictions are not relevant at this stage, either."
Detective Senior Sergeant Whitehead said the team was more interested in speaking to two hitchhikers seen crossing the Kopu Bridge or to anyone in the area who saw the group of motorcycles travelling towards Auckland at high speed that evening.
He said his team members had just begun the "hard graft" of the investigation as they completed the scene examination and continued identifying those at the scene that night.
They have not spoken to the motorcyclists they believe could help them with their investigation.
Mr Povey's body is lying at the nearby Matai Whetu marae, and will be taken to his family home in Manaia, 40km north of Thames, tomorrow.
His funeral will be held in Manaia on Friday.
Speeding bike-riders key in death hunt
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