Wife prepares to farewell hunter husband

Murray Edge on a hunting trip at Easter. Photo / supplied

Marilyn Edge is preparing to say goodbye to husband Murray after the hunter's body was found near Timaru on Monday.

She hopes to know more about his death after an autopsy today.

Mrs Edge said her husband's body was found in an open area about 40 minutes inland from Timaru, on Monday morning.

Mr Edge was hunting with a friend when the pair became separated on April 19.

The area where the body was found had been searched several times.

After talking to police, she believed his body had ended up in the open area after heavy rain.

''There are doubters who say he weighed 86kg, so how the dickens could he be washed out but the reality is he's been cooking for four weeks.''

The rain could more easily shift a decomposing body, she said.

She would not see her husband before his cremation, but she and her daughter, Jo Renton, had been in the area when his body was found and taken away.

Police had told her ''victim recovery dogs'' would search on Monday, and she and her daughter travelled from Dunedin to watch over the search site from limestone cliffs.

Dogs had searched the area previously, but had difficulty because of the searchers' scents.

The area was closed to allow the other scents to dissipate, she said.

Before the latest search, she said she had asked her missing husband to allow himself to be found to stop the ''nasty rumours'' that were circulating.

She said she had told him ''we need to know exactly what happened to you.''

The family never doubted the death was an accident and she declined to talk about the ''unhelpful'' and ''ungrounded'' rumours circulating.

The family anticipated the autopsy findings would provide relief and expected to receive a preliminary report by the end of the week.

She understood the police investigation had to to rule out any suspicion and police had collected DNA and fingerprints from her house, Mrs Edge said.

Marilyn Edge receives a comforting hug at her Dunedin home from granddaughter Cass Renton, 9. Photo / Christine O'Connor.

The family would hold two services for Mr Edge - one in Dunedin on May 30 and another in Fairlie on June 1, two days before her husband's 65th birthday.

Both services - at the Baha'i Centre in Dunedin and Fairlie Community Theatre - were open to the public.

She urged people to wear casual attire, including hunting gear, and to bring ''your Murray stories''. She would try to MC both services.

''I'll try and do the whole thing,'' she said, holding back tears yesterday, ''because it's my last thing to do for him.''

The couple had talked about the possibility of him not returning from a hunting trip and had discussed his funeral wishes.

She urged other couples to have the conversation.

''Otherwise, you're completely at sea over what the other wanted,'' Mrs Edge said.

As reported in the Otago Daily Times last month, in a last-ditch attempt at enticing her husband home to safety, she threatened to cut down a tree her husband loved.

Yesterday, Mrs Edge said foliage from the tree would be used in the flower arrangements at the Dunedin service and a party was planned for the felling of the tree.

The services would include music by Australian country music singer John Williamson and Swedish pop group Abba.

''I used to love Abba. Now I hate Abba because every time Murray was driving the car - which he nearly always was - he would play Abba.''

The children would play the song The Coleridge Run because their father often sang it.

''That was his party piece,'' Mrs Edge said.