Sudbury – Several calls received in relation to human remains in the river inquiry

Detectives have been provided with several pieces of information in connection with the discovery of human remains in a Sudbury river over three years ago, following the release of new information and an appeal on Crimewatch Live, which was broadcast last Friday on BBC1. 

Police were called at around 4.35pm on Thursday 27 August 2020, after human remains were found inside two black bin bags in the River Stour, near Meadow Gate and Croft Bridge.

A Home Office post-mortem examination conducted three days later was not able to establish a cause of death or any form of identification.

A small amount of additional human remains were recovered as a result of searches of the river in the week after the bags were found, with DNA testing of these remains confirming that they are from the same person as the original discovery.

Expert forensic tests have taken place to help build a profile of the victim, the results of which have indicated that they were a white adult male of north European descent, approximately 5ft 6in to 5ft 9in tall, of medium build, with blond hair when born (which may have darkened over time), and likely to have been of an athletic or muscular build.

He is believed to have died between 2008 and 2012 and he was likely to have been aged in his late 50s to early 60s at the time of death. The approximate age of the victim and timeframe for his death are based around the results of radiocarbon dating, which has been undertaken as part of the ongoing specialist forensic work in the case.

Efforts to identify the victim have so far proved unsuccessful. Missing person records across local, regional and national databases have been reviewed and further opportunities to explore the comparison of DNA across numerous national and international databases is continuing.

In addition to collaborating with the National Crime Agency, the joint Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team is continuing to work with regional partners and a number of other specialists and experts from across the country.

Last Friday (13 October) the case featured on Crimewatch Live on BBC1, as further information about the case that had not previously been disclosed was released.

This additional detail was as follows: the actual remains that were discovered were part of the skull and jaw; the right and left arm bones and partial wrist bones; and the complete lower right and left legs, including the feet. The remains of the arms, legs and feet were partially mummified and there was a healed fracture to one of the wrist bones.

The opinion of the forensic pathologist who performed the post-mortem was that the skull had sustained multiple areas of sharp force trauma, resulting in cuts of a similar orientation.

The bones had been cleanly dismembered at the joints. Both arms and the feet were bent inwards and upwards, which was possibly as a result of how they were stored.

The black bags the remains were found in are not believed to have been in the water for long and appeared to have been dropped into the river from close to the bank, rather than thrown into the centre.

The bags were weighted down with bricks, which have been identified as ‘Eastwoods Fletton’ bricks, along with decorative stones.

Within the black bags were carrier bags containing the bricks and decorative stones. These included a white ‘Thing-Me-Bobs’ bag (the style of which was produced between 2013 and 2015); a ‘Boots’ bag from circa 2012; and generic blue carrier bags – typically used by market traders.

A number of air fresheners – the type of which that are for commercial use in toilets – were also found in the bags with the remains. These were found to have been a business-to-business janitorial product made by Jeyes, at a factory in Mold, North Wales, and became obsolete around 2011.

Following last week’s appeal, several calls or messages were received both into Crimewatch Live and also directly to Suffolk Police, a number of which have provided new lines of enquiry for officers to follow-up on.  

Detective Superintendent Mike Brown, the Senior Investigating Officer, said: “I am grateful to those members of the public who have taken the time to provide us with information that they believe could be of assistance.

“I would also like to thank Crimewatch Live for featuring this complex and challenging case and helping us to raise the profile of it to a national audience. There is a high likelihood that our victim wasn’t local to Sudbury, so featuring it on the programme was a great opportunity for us to take our appeal across the UK.

“As a result, we have some new lines of enquiry that we are following-up on and we will continue to pursue every lead that may help us either identify the victim, or provide information about those responsible for his death, or depositing the remains.

“I would reiterate our appeal to members of the public again – please read the description of the victim’s profile above, and then cast your mind back to the period between 2008 and 2012.

“If you knew a man aged in his late 50s or early 60s at that time, who suddenly disappeared without a trace (you might think he had simply moved away), then please contact us.

“This man must have family or friends somewhere that are missing him and we are determined to find out who he is and who was responsible for his death.”

Detectives are continuing to appeal for anyone with information about the discovery of the human remains in the River Stour to come forward. This includes anyone who witnessed any suspicious behaviour near the river in the days and weeks preceding the discovery on Thursday 27 August 2020.

Anyone with information that could assist the inquiry is asked to contact the Major Investigation Team, either via our online portal or by telephone as detailed below:

• Major Incident Public Reporting Portal - https://mipp.police.uk/operation/363720N59-PO1
• Phone - Please call the incident room on 01473 613513

Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their online form: www.crimestoppers-uk.org

 

Previous release | 13 October 2023

Detectives investigating the discovery of human remains in a Sudbury river over three years ago are now releasing more details about the case. 

Police were called at around 4.35pm on Thursday 27 August 2020, after human remains were found inside two black bin bags in the River Stour, near Meadow Gate and Croft Bridge.

A Home Office post-mortem examination conducted three days later was not able to establish a cause of death or any form of identification. 

A small amount of additional human remains were recovered as a result of searches of the river in the week after the bags were found, with DNA testing of these remains confirming that they are from the same person as the original discovery.

Expert forensic tests have taken place to help build a profile of the victim, the results of which have indicated that they were a white adult male of north European descent, approximately 5ft 6in to 5ft 9in tall, of medium build, with blond hair when born (which may have darkened over time), and likely to have been of an athletic or muscular build.

He is believed to have died between 2008 and 2012 and he was likely to have been aged in his late 50s to early 60s at the time of death. The approximate age of the victim and timeframe for his death are based around the results of radiocarbon dating, which has been undertaken as part of the ongoing specialist forensic work in the case. 

Efforts to identify the victim have so far proved unsuccessful. Missing person records across local, regional and national databases have been reviewed and further opportunities to explore the comparison of DNA across numerous national and international databases is continuing.

In addition to collaborating with the National Crime Agency, the joint Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team is continuing to work with regional partners and a number of other specialists and experts from across the country.

Detectives are now able to release further information about the case that has not previously been disclosed. 

The actual remains that were discovered are as follows: part of the skull and jaw; the right and left arm bones and partial wrist bones; and the complete lower right and left legs, including the feet. The remains of the arms, legs and feet were partially mummified and there was a healed fracture to one of the wrist bones. 

The opinion of the forensic pathologist who performed the post-mortem was that the skull had sustained multiple areas of sharp force trauma, resulting in cuts of a similar orientation.

The bones had been cleanly dismembered at the joints. Both arms and the feet were bent inwards and upwards, which was possibly as a result of how they were stored.

The black bags the remains were found in are not believed to have been in the water for long and appeared to have been dropped into the river from close to the bank, rather than thrown into the centre. 

The bags were weighted down with bricks, which have been identified as ‘Eastwoods Fletton’ bricks, along with decorative stones. 

Within the black bags were carrier bags containing the bricks and decorative stones. These included a white ‘Thing-Me-Bobs’ bag (the style of which was produced between 2013 and 2015); a ‘Boots’ bag from circa 2012; and generic blue carrier bags – typically used by market traders.

A number of air fresheners – the type of which that are for commercial use in toilets – were also found in the bags with the remains. These were found to have been a business-to-business janitorial product made by Jeyes, at a factory in Mold, North Wales, and became obsolete around 2011.

Images of the bags, bricks, stones and air fresheners can be seen in the gallery below.

Detective Superintendent Mike Brown, the Senior Investigating Officer, said: “We have been exploring every avenue to help us to identify our victim, which is the key to unlocking this case. 

“At this juncture - more than three years on from the discovery and still not knowing who the victim is – we are now disclosing this more detailed information about the remains, and the items they were found with. 

“Our leading hypothesis is that this individual is very likely to have been the victim of organised crime. The way the body was dismembered – and the fact that the hands are missing – bear the hallmarks of being done very deliberately and by people who knew what they were doing. 

“It would appear the remains had been stored in dry airless conditions for a number of years, before someone decided they needed to be disposed of. 

“It could be that the people responsible for his death took the decision to move the remains, or that someone discovered them and not wanting to engage with the police, decided to simply dispose of them. 

“The placement of the air freshener blocks was clearly designed to mask any bad aromas. They were not a product that could be purchased from a high street shop and were only available as a commercially bought item. 

“The bricks and decorative stones are both quite commonly found in general use, and these have yet to provide a breakthrough. 

“I am once again appealing for assistance from the public to contact us if they believe they have any information about either the victim’s identity, his death, or the deposition of the remains. Any information you provide will be dealt with in confidence.

“As stated previously, not being able to identify our victim is a huge obstacle in this case. I would ask people to read the description of the victim’s profile above again, and then cast their minds back to the period between 2008 and 2012.

“If you knew a man aged in his late 50s or early 60s at that time, who suddenly disappeared without a trace (you might think he had simply moved away), then please contact us. We remain fully committed to solving this complex case and obtaining justice for the victim and any family he may have had.”

Detectives are continuing to appeal for anyone with information about the discovery of the human remains in the River Stour to come forward. This includes anyone who witnessed any suspicious behaviour near the river in the days and weeks preceding the discovery on Thursday 27 August 2020.

Anyone with information that could assist the inquiry is asked to contact the Major Investigation Team, either via our online portal or by telephone as detailed below: 

• Major Incident Public Reporting Portal - https://mipp.police.uk/operation/363720N59-PO1
• Phone – call 0800 096 1011 up until 10pm this evening (13 October). Thereafter, please call the incident room on 01473 613513

Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their online form: www.crimestoppers-uk.org