Grisly find in abandoned quarry

Two men have been charged with murder, after 25-year-old Jai Gray was found dead in an abandoned quarry in Mt Ngungun, about 72km north of Brisbane.

Queensland Police alleged a 19-year-old man and 22-year-old man, both from Caboolture, lured the 25-year-old to a Glass House Mountains property near Stonehaven Lane where they allegedly stabbed him to death.

Queensland Police Moreton Crime Group detective inspector David Harbison said Mr Gray was a First Nations person who was a loved member of the community.

“This is a callous, brutal, unprovoked attack on a young person that posed no threat to anyone,” he said of the police allegations.

“Police and Jai’s relatives are struggling to comprehend the unjustified actions of those people responsible.”

Mr Harbison said Mr Gray had lived at his home on Rupert Crescent in Morayfield, and on occasions the men allegedly responsible for his murder also lived at the properly

“I wouldn’t call them housemates, it was Jai’s house and the other two were probably taking advantage of that and living on and off at that location from time to time,” he said.

“This rocks the entire community, Jai was well loved … and this is a senseless act reverberates through our tight little community.”

On June 4, Caboolture police received a report that Mr Gray was missing and last seen at his Morayfield home about 3pm on May 28.

Police launched a missing persons investigation to try and locate Mr Gray, when it became evident that he had not used his bank accounts or social media.

“Fears were held for his safety,” Mr Harbison said.

In the following days, Mr Gray’s carers and relatives provided police with crucial information that led police to four people known to the victim on June 8.

Police also seized a vehicle that belonged one of the men.

By June 10, detectives believed Mr Gray had met foul play and started a homicide investigation issuing search warrants in the Caboolture area.

The 22-year old and 19-year old men were taken into police custody and formally charged with Mr Gray’s murder and misconduct of a corpse.

Mr Harbison said the motive behind the murder was still under investigation, but police believed it may have stemmed from a dispute over a small debt.

“Investigations revealed Jai was lured to the location at Glass House where it is believed he was murdered on the evening of May 28,” he said.

“Naturally this is a very distressing incident, Jai’s next of kin and relatives have been advised and they are receiving support through services and victims of crime networks.”

Police will allege that five people, including Mr Gray, were in a vehicle that ended up at the Glasshouse Mountain location where he was attacked.

“There is no suggestion that Jai knew what was going to happen to him, we believe it was a premeditated attack and that he was taken out there deliberately and assaulted in an isolated area,” Mr Harbison said.

“Two of those people have been charged with murder and two are still assisting police with their investigation.”

The men charged with Mr Gray’s murder are due to appear in the Caboolture Magistrates Court on Thursday, June 13.

Police are continuing investigations, and anyone with information is urged to contact Policelink.