MYSTERY surrounds the suspicious death of a 54-year-old man in South Fremantle early on Monday morning.

Although neighbours told the Herald they believed there were only three occupants in the Lloyd Street house at the time, the police homicide squad has released the other two without charge and is appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

Police also spent several days scouring front yards along Lloyd and Chester Streets looking for evidence and asking residents about a walking stick belonging to the owner.

• Police in Chester Street.

The dead man has been named as 54-year-old Michael John Warrilow, also known as Michael John Young, who was a resident of a nearby men’s lodge.

His body was discovered at 6.15am on Monday morning. Two ambulances were first on the scene, attracting the attention of neighbours. One told the Herald he went to the house and woke the owner, who shortly afterwards was taken away in one of the ambulances.

Although nobody heard anything on the morning Mr Warrilow died, they told the Herald heavy drinking was common at the premises, with the police called in the past because of drunken threats and a machete that was brandished in the street.

by STEVE GRANT