October 23, 2023

Police investigate death of man found in school greenhouse

By Madeleine Heffernan
Updated October 23, 2023 — 6.32pmfirst published at 2.08pm
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Police are investigating the death of a young man found in a school greenhouse in Melbourne’s south-east and are calling for people to share dashcam footage taken near the grounds over the weekend.

The body of the man, who police said was of African appearance and aged in his 20s or 30s, was found by a school staff member opening the gates of Lyndale Secondary College about 7am on Monday.

Detective Inspector Dean Thomas, head of the Victoria Police homicide squad, said investigators had yet to identify the man and determine the cause of death.

It was also unclear whether the man was connected to the school.

In a statement released on Monday evening, police said the death was no longer being treated as suspicious after a post-mortem was carried out.

Earlier on Monday, Thomas had said: “Due to some injuries that this male has, it’s been deemed suspicious and now investigators have started to investigate and establish the circumstances surrounding the death.”

The man, who is yet to be identified, was found dead on the grounds of a school on Gladstone Road at 7am.Credit: Nine News

“I’m appealing to anybody in the community that may have been in the area of this school any time from Friday evening from about 7.30pm through to 7am this morning.”

Police cordoned off the scene for much of the day and scanned the grounds for weapons, but the school remained open.

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A spokesperson for the Department of Education said classes were continuing as usual at the college and full support was available to any students and staff affected by the incident.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

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Madeleine Heffernan is an education reporter for The Age. She has also worked as a city reporter and a business reporter.Connect via Twitter.
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