A 27-year-old Gympie man has been charged with the murder of John Kerr at Noosa Heads on 18 June.
Investigations indicate at about 6am that Sunday morning, the 87-year-old Noosa man was located unconscious on a path along the beachfront at the northern end of Hastings Street boardwalk after sustaining serious head injuries consistent with an alleged assault.
Police said bystanders assisted John ahead of the emergency response, however, he died at the scene.
Police took a 27-year-old man into custody without incident about 100 metres away on the beachfront soon after and a crime scene was declared. The man was arrested for another matter at the time. On Monday the same man was charged with the murder.
It is believed the two men are not known to each other.
Acting detective inspector Craig Mansfield said police were now satisfied with their investigation and more information would become available through the court process.
“We have taken our time to do some due diligence around that investigation,” he said.
“We have got additional information from witnesses and from our forensics that we’ve collected during the investigations.
“We like to account for nearly all the people we can that were in the area at the time and we’re satisfied we have done that. We are now satisfied we have sufficient evidence.”
Acting detective inspector Mansfield said the Kerr family had been distressed through the whole process but had some level of satisfaction with the result of the investigation and the arrest.
“They’re happy with the police investigation,” he said. “Sadly they’ve lost a family member out of it.”
Acting detective inspector Mansfield wanted to reassure Noosa residents that there was no further threat to their safety.
“It was an isolated incident. We haven’t had any reports of a similar nature in Noosa in recent years of elderly being targeted,” he said.
“The community can rest assured now that we have that person arrested that they can go about their daily business.”
The 27-year-old Gympie man appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday. He did not appeal for bail and was remanded in custody to face court again on 24 July.
