Kaz II - Forensic Examination

Forensic Examination

On Friday, 20 April, the Kaz II was towed into the Townsville port for forensic examination. On 21 April, Police Sergeant Bardell and Sergeant Molloy searched the ship for signs of foul play or third-party involvement; no evidence for this was found. They found the cabin to be neat and tidy apart from some magazines, a piece of newspaper, and a wine cask which were lying on the floor. It was later determined that these items ended up on the floor while the ship was being towed to shore. In the sink were a few butter knives and, on a bench in the galley, a plastic sheath of fishing knives was found. They did not appear to have been used recently. Under Batten's bed, in a sealed container, the investigators found a firearm and some ammunition, none of which was apparently missing. In a drawer they found an additional single bullet of the same caliber.

After analyzing data about the Kaz II's course from the ship's GPS system, police say that on the morning of her departure from Airlie Beach the ship was steered in northeast direction, into an area where squalls and rough seas were building. On that same day, late in the afternoon, the GPS data shows her adrift.

The investigators also recovered a video recording that showed footage taken by the crew during their trip. It revealed some clues as to the men's last day. The last footage, filmed by James Tunstead on 15 April at 10:05 A.M. local time, shortly before the men disappeared, showed, among other things:

• Batten was at the helm.
• Peter Tunstead is sitting on the aft stairway of the boat; he is fishing.
• A long white rope can be seen trailing behind the boat.
• The engine is not running.
• Fenders can be seen hanging from safety rails on both sides of the boat.
• The camera is panned 360 degrees and shows islands and surroundings; this helped investigators pinpoint the exact location of the ship.
• The sea is choppy and none of the men are wearing a life jacket.
• Tunstead's shirt and glasses are not in the place where they were later found.