Man charged with murder after shooting crime spree
Two men, aged 26 and 32, were arrested on Thursday in Kempsey, NSW. Photo: ABC screenshot
A man has been charged with murder after a crime spree in which highway drivers were randomly shot at and a body was discovered.
The incident on Thursday sparked a major manhunt on the NSW mid-north coast for two men who were arrested later that day.
One of the men, aged 32, was on Friday charged with murder in relation to a dead male discovered on Fernbank Creek Road, just outside Port Macquarie.
The 30-year-old victim had a fatal gunshot wound and has been identified as Sam Dieter Liszczak, said a NSW Police statement.
Police will allege in court the men had travelled together from Victoria in a ute, before the accused fatally shot Liszczak after a falling out.
Thursday’s drama on the NSW mid-north coast started at around 1.40am when officers responded to a series of shooting incidents along the Pacific Highway between Nabiac and Kundabung.
About 5.40am the same day, police were called to Fernbank Creek Road, just outside Port Macquarie, following reports of a deceased male.
About 10.30am, the vehicle wanted over the series of shooting incidents was located abandoned at Wayne Richards Park, Port Macquarie, where it was seized to undergo forensic examination.
A large-scale manhunt was established including PolAir, the Tactical Operations Unit, the Police Dog Unit and Traffic and Highway Patrol.
An investigation into the deceased male established the discovery was linked to the shooting spree.
About 3.15pm on Thursday, two men – aged 26 and 32 – were arrested behind Geoffrey Debenham Street in Kempsey.
The 26-year-old man was taken to Kempsey Police Station, where he was charged with three counts of discharge firearm intend cause grievous bodily harm, and three counts of fire firearm in or near public place.
The older man was taken to Kempsey Hospital for assessment under police guard.
On his release from hospital, he was also taken to Kempsey Police Station where he was charged with seven offences, including murder and six firearm related offences.
He was refused bail to appear in Kempsey Local Court on Saturday.
