Mark Walsh rejected any suggestion he is a suspect in the unsolved murder of transient David Robinson, whose body was found on the beach at Bold Head, near Kakapotahi in South Westland, in 1998.
Mr Robinson had been shot in the head, execution-style.
"We never had any contact with this guy," Mr Walsh said.
The police formally reopened the case in February.
Since then, Mr Walsh’s property and home has been searched and his firearms seized in late April.
Mr Walsh said he and his wife, Jill, were shocked and upset when police suddenly arrived at their property in late April to execute a search warrant and "began going through everything".
The distress it had caused, particularly for his wife, had been devastating.
"We’re in our 80s — we’ve been unable to sleep. Our lives are completely upset."
They had genuinely tried to assist the renewed police inquiry before then, Mr Walsh said.
"The police have overstepped the mark in their investigation and have upset our lives — and we really don’t want to have any more to do with the thing," he said.
The Walshes had talked to police initially, "then within a fortnight they were back wanting me to make a statement".
Not long after, Mr Walsh seized the opportunity for some help from his brother to clear out an old building, once used as a community hall, that was "falling down" on his property.
Beneath old motor and engineering parts inside, the floor was carpeted. Mr Walsh said they were busy lifting the carpet when they received a surprise visit.
"The police turn up and say, ‘Stop, stop, stop. We’ve got a forensic team, we’re looking for blood in this place’. I said ‘All right, it’s all yours’."
He said the police could have advised earlier of their interest in the carpet.
Then in late April, "five goons" in the form of police staff executing a search burst into his residence one morning and began "going through everything".
"They just stormed the house — didn’t ask — just came in all different entrances ... they said they were looking for this guy’s [Mr Robinson’s] missing gear."
Mr Walsh said it appeared then that the police also believed he had a .22 pistol.
"I said, I’ve never had a pistol."
With his co-operation, the police removed his gun collection, including .22 rifles, but Mr Walsh said the search was "completely uncalled for".
"I’ve done nothing. This guy that got murdered, we never seen at all."
Mr Walsh said Mr Robinson’s death in 1998 had naturally been a subject of talk in the area ever since.
This had included comments from a group of regular whitebaiters who once "partied up" at the Kakapotahi River mouth, and who had encountered Mr Robinson.
"Of course you go through things and try and think — but we’ve got no idea at all."
In the past, the dead man had been described as "a real pain in the arse".
"Really, that’s all. No-one really got to know him."
Following the search of his house, Mr Walsh said he had refused to accompany police to Greymouth for a formal video interview.
"I’ve never broken the law. There’s no reason for them to be persecuting us like this."
Head of the inquiry, Detective Inspector Geoff Baber, offered no comment on the search warrant, the seizure of Mr Walsh’s firearms, or any fresh leads they might have in the case as "this matter is ongoing," he said in a statement.— Greymouth Star
