After a week of speculation police have revealed that the body found in a home on Main Street last week was 69-year-old Lithgow resident Chris Whiteley.
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Chifley LAC’s Detective Inspector Luke Rankin told a press conference in Lithgow on Wednesday morning that a post mortem on Monday revealed Mr Whiteley met a violent death with a number a stab wounds and other injuries to his body and that police were treating it as a murder.
Mr Rankin said it was not obvious at the time of Mr Whiteley’s discovery how he had died as his body had been there a long time.
“At this stage the last contact we know someone had with him was on the seventh of August.
“So that’s a month from when we found his body and its possible he was dead for right up to that time.”
Mr Rankin encouraged people to come forward with any information including associates, conflicts and movements.
“He was a very reclusive man.
“We have been told he was the type of person who would not hurt a fly. He kept to himself . Even his neighbours had very, very little to do with him.
“So that has been a challenging aspect of this investigation, establishing his movements.”
Brother of the deceased Neil Whiteley reaffirmed at the press conference Mr Rankin’s comments about Mr Whiteley living a reclusive life.
“Chris was a retired school teacher and he had been a National Serviceman. His interests were camping, bushwalking, motor racing and railways. Lithgow gave him the opportunity to pursue all of these activities
“He lived a quiet, solitary life and would never harm anyone.
“The circumstances of his death came as a great surprise to us.
“We appeal to anyone who may be out there in the community who knows anything about this, no matter how small it may be, to come forward and share it with police.”
Information can be given at Lithgow police station, phone 6352 8399 or through Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.
