A man’s death on a Queensland property was initially treated as a car crash fatality by police – who have now charged another man with manslaughter after the discovery of a gunshot wound during the postmortem process.
Investigators initially believed a 21-year-old Nanango man died in the 21 March crash after hitting a fence pole on a private property on Kingaroy Barkers Creek Road at Booie, near Kingaroy.
But after allegedly discovering a gunshot wound on his upper body, police have charged a 38-year-old Kingaroy man with one count of manslaughter and insecure storage of weapons.
Police believe the 21-year-old man had arrived at the property about 11.30pm that night, and was later located in his car unconscious.
Police said a second man, believed to be a passenger, fled the vehicle before emergency services arrived.
The Queensland ambulance service transported the unconscious man to hospital where he later died.
Det acting Insp Renée Garske said the man was not known to those living at the property.
Garske said investigations were continuing over the incident.
“As a result of postmortem investigations, it was identified that the male person sustained a gunshot wound … to the upper body,” she alleged.
“It’s a horrific set of circumstances for emergency services to respond to any incident involving the death of a person.
“Certainly our hearts go out to the families involved.”
The 38-year-old man has been refused bail and will appear at the Murgon magistrates court on 3 April.
Police have urged anyone with further information to contact Crime Stoppers.
