MEADSFIELD, Manchester — A family is puzzled by the death of their relative whose body was found in a tank here on Sunday, three days after he went missing.

Police and relatives identified him as Delroy Spencer, 57, otherwise called Paul, a resident of Berry Hill, Meadsfield.

Meadsfield is located a few kilometres south of Mandeville, between Knockpatrick and Spur Tree.

A police report said on Saturday relatives reported Spencer missing and a search for him was launched. On Sunday, about 1:10 pm, Spencer’s body was found by relatives in a tank at the back of his house.

The police were called and the body taken to a morgue for an autopsy. The police have classified the death as a suspected case of drowning, pending the autopsy.

However, for Spencer’s family questions abound as to the circumstances surrounding his death, including a claim that his shoes and hat were found next to the tank.

One of his siblings, who opted not to be named, said Spencer was last seen alive on Thursday.

“They [his brothers] saw him up to Thursday morning and my younger brother came back here Friday morning about after six, minutes to seven. He was calling him and he didn’t get any answer. He saw the door open. He called his phone and the phone rang inside the house. He went inside and didn’t see him,” the relative said on Monday.

The brother then reportedly walked around the property in search of his brother as Spencer’s motorcycle and bicycle were still at the house.

“During the search he went to the tank, put a stick in there and didn’t see anything. He came back Saturday and checked again — the same thing. He came back Sunday and was checking in the bush and got a team of men to check the place and they went back to the tank and put a stick in there and then they saw some bubbles coming up and then he pushed back the stick. He saw a head come up and when he looked it was him,” said the relative.

The sibling said Spencer lived alone and the circumstances surrounding his death are very strange.

“We always call and check up on him. We don’t know what happened. We are just praying and trusting the Lord that that culprit will be caught; it is not easy for the family,” the relative said while saying the family doesn’t believe Spencer committed suicide.

Spencer worked as an auto body technician before venturing into farming.

“He was very kind and willing to help; if you called him he would be willing to come and aid you. He was a very loving person and friendly, so we don’t know why somebody would have done that to him,” said the relative.