Dinh Lam Nguyen identified as Glen Brook Dam body in bin victim as police continue investigation

The body found wrapped in plastic inside a wheelie bin at Glen Brook Dam has been identified as Perth father Dinh Lam Nguyen. The 51-year-old, who reportedly had a history with police, was last seen in Balga — where he was living — on January 20. He was reported missing on January 22. “However the information provided at the time did not suggest he was in imminent danger,” a police statement said. His housemate reported him missing and was the last person to see him alive. Police are seeking his blue Mazda 3 sedan, which has gone missing. Acting Detective Inspector Sean Wright said Mr Nguyen had family and children. Some of his family are in Perth. “They are going through the grieving process, they are very distraught,” he said. “They are going to give us some lifestyle (information)... so we know more about him.” He said he would not be drawn on how Mr Nguyen was known to police. “His death is tragic and we need to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death,” he said. “Mr Nguyen is known to police but I’m not going to go into the reasons why. “The most important thing is to... identify what caused his death and who did it. “We are still investigating the bin itself and the items that we have seized from the bin.” A cause of death has not yet been fully determined, with a post mortem to be carried out later this week. The details of Mr Nguyen, found on Monday at Glen Brook Dam in John Forrest National Park, come as concerned locals said they saw the wheelie bin days ago but thought it was just rubbish. Police confirmed the grim discovery was made at a dam within John Forrest National Park in Hovea, about 35km east of Perth. Investigators are examining CCTV footage from ranger stations in the park that could hold vital clues to find who put the victim in the dam. The toll gate entry hut to the dam has two CCTV cameras that capture all ingoing and outgoing vehicles. Acting Det-Insp. Wright said it was a shocking case. “The circumstances surrounding human remains found in a bin at a picnic site at the dam is highly unusual,” he said, adding that a bad smell had led people in the area to notice the bin and the remains. “Obviously they were quite alarmed when they first located (it) but they weren’t sure of what was inside the bin, so the people were not present while we removed the bin from the dam site to the edge. “It’s not clear exactly what they have seen and smelt, there was a smell an odour that came from the bin that aroused their suspicion. .. that there was something sinister inside.” Wright would not be drawn on the wheelie bin — or its origin. He said like any homicide investigation, this inquiry would prove challenging. “All investigations are difficult, but being in a rural area ... a site that people picnic to visit certainly makes it difficult,” he said. The main entrance to Glen Brook Dam remained cordoned off this morning as there was still a huge police contingent in the area after Monday’s grisly find. However, police left the crime scene late yesterday. A bus load of police academy recruits arrived at the scene just before 10am this morning before they carried out a grid search of bush and the surrounds of the dam. The police helicopter was also seen circling the Glen Brook Dam region during the grid search. The helicopter circled nearby bush before departing the area. Officers were seen patrolling nearby roads surrounding the dam. They also had to prevent several hikers from crossing roads which were taped off. After the smell led a group of teenagers and an adult to the wheelie bin containing the man’s remains floating in the national park dam at 12.30pm on Monday, the bin, pictured with the remains inside protruding from the top, was taken out of the dam hours later by several police officers in waist-high water.