A post-mortem examination in Auckland today is expected to help police establish if the death of Paeroa pizza shop owner Jordan Voudouris is a homicide.
Mr Voudouris's body was found in an alley leading to his Mykonos Pizza and Pasta business in the Waikato town on Monday.
Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Whitehead says "there appears to be the possibility of some trauma", and the post-mortem will help clarify this.
He also disclosed that there had been an attempted aggravated robbery at Waihi and a robbery at Katikati, which are both nearby townships.
Tributes flowed on the pizza shop's Facebook page on Monday.
"You were a hard working man and made a big contribution to this community," wrote Dennis Kuhn.
"You made real pizza".
Residents left flowers outside the shop and other businesses in the town put up messages expressing sympathy outside their stores.
The death would be treated as suspicious until there was information otherwise, Det Sen Sgt Whitehead said.
NZN