Human remains found close to the M67 in Tameside earlier this year have been identified as 41-year-old Ajani Campbell from Preston in Lancashire. Greater Manchester Police confirmed the identity six months after he was reported missing.
Discovery and Identification
On Monday August 3 at around 11pm, Greater Manchester Police were called after bridge inspectors working on the railway bridge over the M67 in Hyde discovered a skeleton at the bottom of the concrete embankment. No personal belongings or other items were found with the remains that could help police establish his identity, so a forensic postmortem was carried out and a bone was sent for examination. DNA was extracted from the bone, and the remains were identified as Ajani Campbell.
Timeline of Disappearance
Enquiries showed that Ajani was circulated as a high-risk missing person after he left his home address on Saturday January 24 2026. It was established that he boarded a train in Preston on that same day and travelled to Manchester Piccadilly. Train station footage captures him walking through the station at 12.30am on Sunday 25 January 2026. He is then tracked into the city centre and captured on CCTV footage at 1.48am on Deansgate at the junction with Quay Street. This was the last confirmed sighting of Ajani.
Family Tribute
Ajani's family have paid tribute to him via the police force, saying: “It is with shattered hearts that we honour the memory of our beloved Ajani, who went missing on 24 January 2026. While the agonising search to find Ajani has come to an end, the reality of losing him has left us in a grief too deep for words.
“Ajani was a force of nature—funny, caring, and incredibly loving. He was a loving son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend. He had a passion for life that showed in everything he did, whether he was working out, exploring the great outdoors, or dropping bars and sharing his gift for rapping. He possessed a deeply spiritual soul that connected him to the world and the people around him in a profound way. To know Ajani was to love him, and he left an unforgettable mark on every single person he met.
“We want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who helped search, prayed, and stood by us during this darkest chapter. Though his journey on this earth was cut devastatingly short, his light will live on forever in our hearts. Rest easy, our beautiful boy. You are loved beyond measure.”
Police Investigation Ongoing
Detective Sergeant Ian Parker from the Tameside district said: "Our thoughts remain with Ajani's family and loved ones as they continue to come to terms with this tragic news. Thanks to extensive enquiries, specialist forensic work and DNA analysis, we have now been able to formally identify the remains as Ajani Campbell, who was reported missing from Preston back in January.
“We have been working closely with Lancashire Constabulary since we picked up this investigation, sharing information and assisting each other with establishing facts.
“While this provides some answers for his family, our investigation remains ongoing and we are continuing to piece together Ajani's movements in the hours before he was last seen in Manchester city centre. We are keeping an open mind regarding the circumstances surrounding Ajani's death, and at this stage we are not ruling out any lines of enquiry.
“We know Ajani was last captured on CCTV on Deansgate in the early hours of Sunday 25 January 2026, and we are continuing to work to establish exactly what happened after that point.
“We have included an image of him in Manchester Piccadilly train station coming off an escalator at 12.25am on Sunday 25 January 2026. I would urge anyone who may have seen Ajani in the station, in Manchester that weekend, or who has any information which could assist our investigation, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to get in touch with us.”
As investigations continue, police are appealing for any information that might assist them in piecing together a timeline of Ajani's movements and how he came to be under the bridge close to the M67. A dedicated Major Incident Public Portal has been set up at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/06GMP26G02-PO1 for any information to be submitted. Information can also be submitted via 101 quoting log 4156 of 03/08/2026 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
