By TONY GEE
The owner of a pair of fingers found on the roadside in Northland last week has told police he had them surgically removed in hospital five years ago and had kept them in preserving solution ever since.
Ruakaka police made the gruesome discovery when they checked a Ford car reported abandoned south of the Waipu Golf Club entrance on State Highway 1 last Thursday.
Two discoloured fingers were found near the car, but police had not heard from anyone missing them.
But yesterday, Ruakaka Constable Martin Geddes said police had spoken to the former owner of the abandoned car, which was sold to new owners only days ago.
Constable Geddes said the man, a 38-year-old Whangarei resident whom he would not name, had left the fingers in the car.
"He kept them afterwards in a preserving solution. He didn't give a reason why but they were still in the car when he sold it to two young men a week or so ago."
When the car broke down, its new owners found the fingers.
"They obviously didn't like what they saw and must have thrown the fingers out onto the roadside near the car," Constable Geddes said.
He described the fingers' owner as "a fairly private person," but said police were satisfied with his explanation.
Police still have the fingers in a freezer at the station.
Police find owner of abandoned fingers
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