UPDATE: Leg amputation murder victim revealed as 66y.o. grandfather

The identity of the retired grandfather who allegedly “had an arrangement” with a fruit picker to saw off his leg has been revealed.

Kalman Tal, 66, has been identified as the man who police allege paid  Vanuatuan fruit picker, John Yalu, 36, to “amputate” his leg using a circular saw before bleeding to death.

According to News.com.au, police allege the two agreed to meet at a park around 4 am on Saturday, February 19, and as part of their “arrangement” Tal paid Yalu $5,000 to saw off his leg, just below his knee.

It is also alleged that Yalu carried Tal back to his car he, himself fled the scene, only for two bystanders finding the horrific scene shortly after.

Yalu was charged with murder on Sunday, February 20, and appeared in Innisfail Magistrates Court the following day, Monday, February 21.

Tal allegedly owned the circular saw, with police now looking at reports that grandfather had been attempting to convince local fishermen and other fruit pickers to cut off his leg.

Multiple local residents told DailyMail Australia the suffering man had asked a doctor to amputate his leg, but no medical professional would agree to do the procedure. The publication also reports that the victim allegedly injected himself with sedatives before getting his leg removed.

Detective Acting Inspector Gary Hunter had recently told Seven News that investigators believe the incident was an “arrangement” between friends.

“Police will allege these two people were known to each other, the nature of that relationship is forming part of our investigations,” he said.

“During my 34 years as a police officer, I’ve never experienced a situation as we are presented with here today.”

Yalu was still in police holding cells on Tuesday, February 22, after he was refused bail earlier in the week.

He is expected to be transferred soon to a correctional centre while on remand until his next court appearance in June.