Three NSW teenagers have been arrested over the murder of a Canberra man. One line of investigation police are pursuing is that he may have been using a gay dating app in the lead up to his death.
Police believe Peter Keeley, 56, may have been using the gay dating app Grindr to meet with another person in the lead up to his death. His body was discovered by a dog walker near the NSW town of Broulee on the afternoon on 2nd February.
“There were a number of dating apps that were used and one of those dating apps was Grindr and that appears to be a method of communication that links him to one of the teenagers,” Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty told the media.
Three teenagers have been charged over the incident, alongside a murder charge they are also facing a charge of “take/detain in company with intent to get advantage” causing grievous bodily harm – an aggravated kidnbapping charge.
A post-mortem was unable to determine the exact cause of death of the father of three, but it has been reported that he had extensive head and facial injuries.
The victims family released a statement via police outlining their grief.
“Our family is devastated and still coming to terms with the fact we have lost Peter,” they said.
“All that can be said is we have been deeply affected by this tragedy and we are still grieving.
“We are grateful for the overwhelming support from family and friends.
“Thank you to the NSW Police Force and ACT Police detectives who have supported our family during this terrible time.
“As we continue to process this news, our family has requested privacy at this time to allow us to support Peter’s children.”
Police would not confirm if they believed the incident to be a hate crime based on sexuality, but said it was one of a number of motivations they were investigating alongside drug and robbery considerations.
Two of the boys appeared in court yesterday and were denied bail, and ordered to reappear at a later date. A third youth is expected to appear in court on Friday.
OIP Staff
