A murder investigation is under way after the discovery of a badly decomposed body in a Mangerton unit block.
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NSW Police officers found the corpse in a shared laundry on the grounds of a NSW Housing complex on Crana Place late on Thursday, so badly decomposed the gender could not be determined.
A police strike force has been established to identify the body, with missing persons registers a strong line of inquiry.
‘‘The circumstances of the deceased person being located are quite frankly suspicious,’’ said Detective Superintendent Bernie Ryan, Acting Commander for Wollongong Local Area Command.
‘‘This person ... would have a family, they would have people that are concerned about them. It’s the strong desire of this investigation that we [identify] this person so we can contact their family, friends, loved ones so they have the information they deserve.’’
Uniformed officers were at the complex for undisclosed reasons about 11.50pm on Thursday when they entered the small, stand-alone laundry and initially uncovered a human foot.
The body is believed to be several weeks old, but intact.
Det Supt Ryan would not discuss the nature of a covering that appears to have helped to conceal the corpse from public view, nor would he discuss the extent of any injuries, or what originally brought the address to police attention.
"It would be inappropriate to discuss why police were at that location. Police had cause to be at the rear of that location for a lawful purpose, then they made inquiries and they located the deceased," he said.
Residents of the complex and neighbouring public housing units told the Mercury the laundry was a known drug haunt where "people with nowhere else to go" went to shoot up. However, the discovery of a body - in a shared space, where the door is left open - surprised many residents who woke to find their block teeming with police.
"I don't think anyone's used [the laundry] for a long time because people walk in there and smash it up," a neighbour said.
"But the door is often halfway open so I can't understand how no one saw [the body]."
The investigation is in the hands of Wollongong detectives, with the assistance of investigators from the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad.
It has involved the dog squad and riot squad officers, who carried out a grid search on a section of lawn between the laundry and the Howarth Place entry.
Friday's search activity - carried out under constant rain - also focused on a steep, overgrown embankment overlooking the laundry.
Forensic Services police filled several evidence bags with contents taken from the laundry.
Two surfboards were also removed from the building.
The body was taken out of the complex on a trolley shortly before midday, and will undergo an autopsy.
Police are appealing to the community to contribute information to their investigation.
Contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.