Last November, 54-year-old Bruce Saunders and two of his friends were using an industrial-sized woodchipper in order to remove some branches from a mutual friend's property in Goomboorian, Queensland, Australia. Within mere minutes, a visibly ill Saunders fell into the machine and was killed. This gruesome death was originally seen as, simply, a horrific accident. However, Australian investigators are now not so sure it wasn't homicide.
Citing "several items of interest," Police officials, connected to the case, told the press that the events of November 12, 2017, are being reexamined as a possible homicide.
Inspector Gary Pettiford told Australian television viewers recently that suspicions were raised when the two friends at the scene that day both admitted that they did not see Saunders fall into the woodchipper.
"Information we received during the course of our coronial investigations had led us to believe that the death is suspicious and we have a number of detectives and police experts investigating the incident," Pettiford stated. Right across the Pacific Ocean, the New Zealand Herald reported that multiple people told interviewing detectives that Saunders' death was no accident.
Bloody day
So far, Queensland police have kept mum about the new items of interest or the new figures who have been interviewed as part of the case.
Such reticence is common on active homicide investigations. So far, what is known for sure is that Saunders and his two friends were clearing branches that day in order to help out an unidentified female who had recently become widowed. The handy work was all done in order to help the woman sell her house and property.
The men had been helping the woman for three weekends in a row, and on the death of Saunders' death, they were close to completing the task.
Things took an odd turn when all three men continued to use the woodchipper, a dangerous implement, after dark. Police believe that the incident occurred at around 7:40 PM, just as the sun set.
Thus far, police officers have yet to confirm or deny whether or not Saunders was dead before he entered the woodchipper. Similarly, police have provided no information on whether or not the crime was premeditated.
They have however said that the unidentified homeowner is cooperating with the investigation.
Closure coming soon?
Despite keeping the facts close to their chests, Queensland police are predicting that an arrest may happen very soon. Other officers have stuck to telling the press about how awful the crime scene was. "It was actually quite horrific. His friends discovered him as he became entangled and attempted to extract him from the shredder and were unable to do so," said Inspector Paul Algie.
By all accounts, Saunders was a lovable man who many have described as "happy-go-lucky." No motive has even been theorized as to why someone would want to kill him.
