A crew from NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), located the remains of a man at 6.10am on Thursday 27 December 2018, on Yarratt Road, Upper Landsdowne, after they had extinguished a small fire in the Yarratt State Forest.

A post mortem examination revealed the man had been seriously assaulted before his body was taken to the forest and set on fire.

The man has been formally identified as 41-year-old, Tyron Beauchamp.

Mr Beauchamp was originally from Queensland and had moved to the Taree area in mid-2018.

Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad and Manning-Great Lakes Police District established Strike Force Gretna to investigate Mr Beauchamp’s suspected murder.

Following extensive investigations, strike force detectives, assisted by specialist tactical officers, arrested five men – 19, 22, 23, 24, and 42 – in Taree earlier today (Wednesday 8 May 2019).

All five men were then taken to Forster Police Station, where the 24-year-old man and 22-year-old men were charged with murder.

The 23-year-old, 19-year-old and 42-year-old men were charged with accessory after the fact to murder.

All five men were refused bail to appear at Forster Local Court tomorrow (Thursday 9 May 2019).

Background from our story 05-01-19:

A crew from NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), located the remains of a man at 6.10am on Thursday 27 December 2018, on Yarratt Road, Upper Landsdowne, after they had extinguished a small fire in the Yarratt State Forest.

A post mortem examination revealed the man had been seriously assaulted before his body was taken to the forest and set on fire.

The man has been formally identified as 41-year-old, Tyron Beauchamp.

Mr Beauchamp was originally from Queensland and had moved to the Taree area in mid-2018.

Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad and Manning-Great Lakes Police District are investigating Mr Beauchamp’s suspected murder under Strike Force Gretna.

“It appears Mr Beauchamp was a fairly private man – he seemed to keep to himself and had not made many close relationships since moving to the area,” Det Ch Insp Blackman said.

“We have spoken to a small number of people who knew him, but we are still trying to piece together his exact movements over those two weeks.

“Mr Beauchamp’s body was located in a small clearing of bushland about 6.5km west of Upper Lansdowne Road, which is accessed through a small pathway off Yarratt Road,” Det Ch Insp Blackman said.