KEY POINTS:
CHRISTCHURCH - Police investigating the death of a Dunedin teenager whose body was found in a Christchurch park are interviewing four men he was seen with on the day he was believed to have died.
The 16-year-old was named today as Shaun Martin Finnerty, who had been living with relatives in Christchurch for about two months.
His body was found with facial injuries in Auburn Reserve, in Upper Riccarton suburb, early yesterday morning.
Police are looking for a man, whose identity they now know, who called for an ambulance from a phone booth about 600 metres from the grassy suburban park at 5.47am.
He told the St John dispatcher he would wait until an ambulance arrived, but disappeared.
Homicide investigation head Detective Inspector Greg Williams said today police were making "significant progress".
"We now believe we know who called the ambulance and are actively taking steps to locate him," Mr Williams said this afternoon.
"He will be well aware of this and I urge him to come forward."
Mr Williams said Mr Finnerty was reported missing from his Christchurch home last Friday.
He was found by police on Sunday and placed in a Child Youth and Family (CYF) home in Richmond "in relation to care and protection issues".
CYF reported Mr Finnerty missing from the service's home on Monday after he failed to return.
Mr Williams said the homicide investigation now had several "key focuses".
Police were tracking Mr Finnerty's movements during Monday and Tuesday.
"We know he was with a group of four Polynesian or Maori males; we have identified those people and are currently speaking with them," he said.
Police still wanted to hear from anyone who knew Mr Finnerty's movements and also witnesses to any activities in and around Auburn Reserve from the early evening on Tuesday to when the ambulance was called yesterday morning.
Mr Williams said police had received "great assistance" from the public and were getting a clearer picture of what went on in the area.
Auburn Reserve is a small grassy suburban park with a walkway running from Auburn Ave to busy Riccarton Rd and has dozens of properties backing on to it.
"It would appear that Shaun was in this park with a group of youths, some Polynesian or Maori, for some time," Mr Williams said.
"We are currently speaking with seven people who were either in the park or have knowledge of what has taken place."
Police were continuing a forensic examination at the scene and completing an area canvass of neighbourhood properties.
A post mortem was done this morning and police were awaiting the results of toxiciology tests.
"All I can say at this time is that Shaun has been seriously assaulted and this is likely to be a contributing factor in the cause of his death," Mr Williams said.
- NZPA