In 1999, electrician Stavros Stavrianos was reported missing by his family. Police called in a forensic team who made a gruesome discovery in his West Auckland home.
Former New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush was leading the local criminal investigations branch at the time.
“It was obvious that something very untoward had happened in the toilet and bathroom of Stavros’ house,” said Bush.
Former NZ Top Cop Mike Bush reveals what they found in the victim’s home on the Crime Insiders podcast:
“One of the first things we do is we wait for nightfall,” Bush said, “We apply in the dark a product called luminol. Which, when (it) comes in contact with blood, glows.”
Luminol was applied to the carpet, which revealed drag marks from the toilet down the hallway. That’s when police decided to further examine the bathroom.
“We removed the plumbing from the toilet. And some metres into that plumbing into the drain. Our forensic experts located a rectangular piece of skull,” he said.
A forensic pathologist examined the skull and found small black indents on the inside caused by shotgun pellets.
Former NZ Police Commissioner Mike Bush shares details on the case on the Crime Insiders podcast. In groundbreaking interviews, explore the world of policing and forensics through stories from the world’s most experienced and decorated experts.