The killer of hitchhiker Jason Johnson may have been a homophobe enraged by the gay man's unwanted sexual advances, say police.
A preliminary criminal profile shows that a strong motive for the July 9-10 murder of the intellectually disabled drifter was embarrassment and revulsion related to homophobia.
"He had previously hit on male drivers who picked him up so it could well be that he picked on the wrong person," said Detective Senior Sergeant Karl Wright-St Clair, who leads the investigation.
The scene at Dunham Creek Reserve, where Mr Johnson was beaten in the head and then dumped in Lake Whakamaru, near Mangakino, was "disorganised", indicating an unplanned attack.
The body had been partially hidden and a bag of Mr Johnson's belongings was thrown into the lake but other items were left in a layby.
It was possible that what started as a beating went too far and it was not an intentional killing.
Mr Johnson had made advances on several men while hitchhiking but there was no evidence to suggest that he had been aggressive or threatening.
Anyone with information can phone 0800-LAKE-MURDER or 0800 525-368 or log on to the NZ Police website and click on Operation Lake.
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