The death of a man killed in a woodchipping machine near Gympie last year is now being treated as suspicious, Queensland police say.

Police were called to a rural property in Tinana Road at Goomboorian on November 13 last year where they found the body of 54-year-old Bruce Saunders from Nambour in an industrial woodchipper.

Investigators described the scene as "horrific" but originally treated the incident as an accident.

Bruce Saunders was found dead in an industrial woodchipper on November 13. ( Facebook )

It had been believed the man had fallen into the machine as he was clearing trees off the driveway while working with two other men.

Police said after further investigation they were now treating the death as suspicious.

One neighbour Chris Parker said the men seemed "happy and content" and was shocked the incident was being investigated as a murder.

"Everyone seemed friendly enough … just can't believe that it's not just an accident," Ms Parker said.

She said the three men had been working at the property as a favour to the homeowner.

Another neighbour who saw the men working, Keith Wilson, said he hoped police find out what happened to Mr Saunders.

"No-one deserves to go through something like that — it would be a pretty awful way of going," he said.

On Sunday, detectives from the Gympie Criminal Investigation Branch executed a search warrant at the Tinana Road property and searched nearby land with the State Emergency Service.

During the searches, several items of interest were seized.

Detective Inspector Gary Pettiford said police were following a number of "promising" leads.

"Information we received during the course of our coronial investigations has led us to believe that the death is suspicious," he said.

"We have a number of detectives and police experts investigating this incident," he said.

"I urge anyone with any information that could assist us with our investigations to come forward, either by contacting Gympie detectives, Policelink or anonymously via Crimestoppers."