A state coroner has released his findings after a teenager was found dead on the bank of the Goulburn River. Photo: file
A state coroner has said “some questions will remain unanswered” after the body of a missing teenager was found near the banks of the Goulburn River.
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Jodus Tenetahi Murphy, 18, was found dead, wearing only his underwear, 30m from the bank of the Goulburn River just outside Seymour on June 14, 2023.
Coroner John Olle has released his findings from a coronial inquest held on February 17 and 18 to determine the circumstances and cause of Jodus’ death.
Mr Olle said Jodus likely died from hypothermia, possibly in combination with drowning.
“He exhibited known behaviours of paradoxically undressing to his underwear despite freezing conditions,” he said.
“For reasons unknown, Jodus entered the river and in so doing, either drowned or succumbed to hypothermia.
“He may have died of hypothermia directly, or he may have decided to go for a swim to cool off — due to the effects of hypothermia — and drowned.”
However, Mr Olle said there was insufficient evidence for him to make a definitive finding for the specific cause of Jodus’ death.
“What happened to Jodus was a tragedy,” he said.
“He was a loved young man with great potential.”
The inquest heard Jodus had left his mother’s home in the Melbourne suburb of Seaford about 5am on May 12, 2023.
He met Corey Christie and Thomas Howe at the Seymour train station on the evening of May 14, 2023, and Corey offered for Jodus to stay at his house overnight because there were no more trains.
That night, the three of them smoked ice and Jodus also took alprazolam and smoked cannabis.
Analysis of Jodus’ blood and urine revealed the presence of methamphetamine, bromazolam and cannabis which was likely consumed within a day or so of his death.
However, Mr Olle said it was unlikely the drugs found in his system were the cause of his death.
“His consumption of drugs may well have contributed to him drowning or becoming hypothermic, either by reducing his ability to swim, or to notice or respond appropriately to becoming cold,” he said.
Jodus left Corey’s house on the morning of May 15, 2023. About 8.30am, he asked a Seymour resident if she could help him find a friend’s house in what was the last confirmed sighting of him.
The inquest also heard Jodus’ bankcard had been used at an ATM in Seymour by a man named Mitchell Berens shortly after 5pm on May 17, 2023.
Mitchell told police Jodus had approached him and asked him to withdraw money for him and said he could not withdraw the money himself because “they were watching me”.
He refuted claims he had not returned the bankcard and money to Jodus.
Coroner John Olle found Jodus Murphy likely died from hypothermia or drowning.
Mr Olle said Jodus had been sleeping rough in “near freezing conditions” and was “totally ill-equipped to sleep outdoors on the bank of the Goulburn River”.
He said it was unlikely Jodus died where he was found, and he was instead carried to the riverbank by floodwater.
“His body travelled downstream, until floodwaters washed his body on to the bank, at which it was deposited when the floodwater subsided,” Mr Olle said..
“I am satisfied that the location of Jodus’ death is an undetermined location upstream from where his body was found.”
The inquest also found Jodus had withdrawn from his mental health treatment, however Mr Olle said there no was evidence he was suicidal.
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