Body found in Northampton parkland remains a 'John Doe' one year on
and live on Freeview channel 276
Detectives appear no closer identifying a body discovered in Northampton woodland 12 months ago today.
Remains unearthed by a member of the public in Lings Wood on May 4, 2020, had been there “some time.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHome Office pathologists were drafted in to help with forensic investigations and confirmed the deceased was a full grown male with brown hair, around 5ft 9in tall and with size ten feet.
But attempts to match the description with a file of missing persons and several appeals for information using photos of clothes have so far proved fruitless.
A Northamptonshire Police spokesman said: "Though detectives are not treating the man’s death as suspicious, so far they have been unable to confirm his identity.
“We have released details of what he was wearing and what was on his person when he was found.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"If, after seeing these photos, anybody has any information about who this person could be, please call us on 101 using incident number 20000226920.”
Police believe the biggest clue may be a pair of blue-grey Barbo jeans found on the body, which appears to be made by a Russian clothing company, and a pair of black and white Diesel trainers with white laces.
Other photographs released of what the deceased was wearing include a fur-lined, navy blue puffa jacket; a dark blue Penguin slim-fit polo shirt, a pair of blue And yellow boxer shorts and a black belt.
The remains were found close to where another unidentified body was discovered during a litter pick event in Lings Wood in 2002.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdA cold case review team was set up in 2014 and forensic experts crafted a clay model of the man’s head in the hope someone might recognise him.
He was an adult male, aged between 25 and 50 and between 5ft 8in to 6ft tall, probably with dark hair. Experts believed the body had been in woodland for up to a year before it was discovered.
Items found with the body on 29 September 2002 included a beige sleeping bag, a black Equinox fleece jacket, a blue Viale work wear top, a green and brown Jet Flow Torille 40 Outbound rucksack, cigarette lighters, a purple comb and hairbrush, a glasses case and lens cloth and a damaged black and white photograph.
He was wearing a pair of blue and grey New Balance trainers, white socks, navy Petroleum track-suit bottoms, a pair of boxer shorts, a long-sleeved Polo-style top and a short-sleeved Polo-style top.
A message from the Editor:
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.
In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper when you do your weekly shop.
Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.
With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.
Thank you.