A Body Was Found at the Property Where Mark and Gino Stocco Were Arrested

Early this morning father/son fugitives Mark and Gino Stocco were arrested at a Pinevale property near the NSW town of Dunedoo. Gino Stocco, who had been named as one of Australia's most wanted criminals, and his 34-year-old son were surrounded by a full police tactical squad, assembled to end the 12-day manhunt. Over that time they had been pursued across three states by the Victoria, NSW, and Queensland police. Following the pair's arrest, a decomposing body was discovered on the property. In a statement, the NSW Police commented: "While he has not yet been formally identified, it is believed to be that of a 68-year-old man who has been missing since Thursday, October 8, 2015." Reports have indicated that the man may have been the owner of the property. Although the cause of death hasn't been established, police are treating it as a potential homicide. Whether or not the death is related to the Mark and Gino Stocco's last stand is not currently known. Specialist forensic officers have been brought in to examine the scene, and police have formed a focused group of detectives called Strike Force Peta to investigate the incident. The special assembled crew is made up of members from the State Crime Command's Robbery and Serious Crime Squad. Mark and Gino Stocco have been wanted by police for a number of serious crimes––including identity theft and fraud––since 2003. While media coverage of the pair reached fever pitch over the past week and a half, they had previously been compared to pirates and bushrangers. The men have been taken to Dubbo Police Station but no charges have been filed. Both the NSW and Queensland police intend to speak with them.