Poisoned port in the letterbox: Northland police following up new information

The letterbox where the poisoned port was left for Dave Davan (inset).

New information has surfaced in the case of Herekino man Dave Davan’s cruel death thanks to a substantial reward put forward by his family and friends.

The 67-year-old died on December 9 2021, nearly a month after he sat down to dinner and poured a glass of port from one of two bottles that had turned up in his letterbox - not knowing that his drink was laced with the restricted and deadly weedkiller paraquat.

Police initially treated the retired farmer’s death as unexplained. However, a homicide investigation was launched in March after they found he had been poisoned - a revelation that rocked the tight-knit farming community on the Far North’s west coast.

Exactly a year after Davan died, his brother Grant and close friends announced a $42,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction.

Grant Davan and friends of Dave Davan pooled together $42,000 as a reward to help find the retired farmer’s killer. Photo / Tania Whyte

Grant, who previously said he thinks about his brother every day, has not heard from police or others close to the case about whether the reward made any impact on the hunt for Davan’s killer.

However, police confirmed to the Advocate the reward - which did not involve them - had churned up more clues in the ongoing case.

A police spokesperson said the reward led to “a number of people coming forward with additional information, which we are following up on”.

Grant and Davan’s close circle of friends were moved to post the reward after feeling frustrated that no one had been arrested a year on.

At the time, Grant said: “We’re not going to give up.”

He spoke of how Davan knew he had been poisoned. During a 1News interview, Davan’s son Conrad - who previously described a close bond between the pair - spoke of how his dad told him: “Don’t let them get away with it.” Conrad vowed he wouldn’t.

Police said in December their investigation team was making good progress, but needed to preserve the operation so couldn’t say anymore.

They are continuing to appeal for anyone with information to contact them via 105 or online at www.police.govt.nz/use-105, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. People are asked to reference file number 211114/9270.

Karina Cooper is deputy news director and covers breaking and general news for the Advocate. She also has a special interest in investigating what is behind the headlines and getting to heart of a story.