Body found in Northampton parkland remains a 'John Doe' one year on

Mystery over man found wearing Russian jeans and Diesel trainers
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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.”

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Home 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.

A par of Russian jeans is one of the few clues to identifying a body found in Lings Wood on May 4 last yearA par of Russian jeans is one of the few clues to identifying a body found in Lings Wood on May 4 last year
A par of Russian jeans is one of the few clues to identifying a body found in Lings Wood on May 4 last year

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.

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"If, after seeing these photos, anybody has any information about who this person could be, please call us on 101 using incident number 20000226920.”

Jeans, trainers, a polo shirt and puffa jacket were all recovered along with the remainsJeans, trainers, a polo shirt and puffa jacket were all recovered along with the remains
Jeans, trainers, a polo shirt and puffa jacket were all recovered along with the remains

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.

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A 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.

Experts created this clay model of a man whose body was also discovered in Lings Wood in 2002 — but have still failed to identify himExperts created this clay model of a man whose body was also discovered in Lings Wood in 2002 — but have still failed to identify him
Experts created this clay model of a man whose body was also discovered in Lings Wood in 2002 — but have still failed to identify 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.

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