About half hour ago, Ladyville Police finished up their first afternoon of investigations into the murder of a Crooked Tree Resident, 76 year old Barry Blayney – who is originally from New Zealand.
His body was discovered this afternoon when the residents of Crooked Tree realized that he had not opened his grocery shop like he normally does. Police are still finishing up their preliminary findings, and have not released any official information.
7News has learned, however, that Blayney's body was discovered with his hands and feet tied up, with a piece of cloth over his head and his mouth taped up. There were no signs of physical violence, but due to the circumstances, police are treating the case as a homicide.
We traveled to Crooked Tree today, where we spoke to the first responders. Here's how they described what they saw:
Rudolph Crawford - Friend of Deceased
"After 12 today, a young lady by the name of Fiona went to my house and she said that she went to the shop and it was closed, she thought that the man wasn't feeling good so she went by the house by where he lives and she saw this gentleman tied up; it seemed like he was dead already. What I did is to call the police immediately and he asked me if I was sure if the man was dead- I told him that I wasn't sure but that the young lady said he might be dead because he's not moving and not answering, so they asked me to check and call them back. I came and I checked and I saw him on the bed with his two feet tied up together and his two hands and the bedding were covering his face so I couldn't see his face."
Fiona Buylding - First Responder
"I decided to come by and to check if the man was okay because I knew he had lungs and he always told us about it and I was calling 'Mr. Barry' and when I went to his house where he sleeps and I peeped through the window and I saw Mr. Barry lying down on his stomach and his two hands and feet were tied up. The only thing I saw was the sheet over him and with his blue jeans pants and his feet looked like they were tied with socks and the hands tied with a rope, like the rope was hanging."
Rudolph Crawford
"He had a little petty shop, nothing much - just to keep him going and I have the belief that they thought he had money, that's all I could think."
Reporter
"He wasn't known to have enemies?"
Rudolph Crawford
"He was a very humble man - he's old, and he's not a health man, he has short breathing so sometimes when he has his stuff by the end of the road, I would go and pick up his stuff and take it home for him. Mr. Barry was a very firendly man and had a good attitude, most of the people that live around here cared a lot for him, he was a very nice man."
Police are still in the area questioning persons – but have no major leads at this time.
According to the residents, Blayney moved to Crooked Tree almost 10 years ago.
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