A dog walker discovered two black bin bags in the River Stour on August 27, 2020, containing human remains. Six years later, an inquest has ruled the man was unlawfully killed, but police are no closer to identifying the victim or finding the perpetrator.
The Discovery
Julie Dunn-Beechin saw the bags near Meadow Gate and Croft Bridge. Park ranger Samuel Morgan, who she called, said he saw what looked like mummified skin and bone through a small hole. Police divers later found skull fragments, facial bones and two loose teeth in a blue plastic bag 150 metres further along the river.
The bags were weighed down with bricks and contained carrier bags, decorative glass stones and commercial air freshener blocks. A post-mortem could not determine cause of death or identity.
Investigation
Det Supt Mike Brown told the inquest the bags were likely deposited between August 13 and 19, 2020. Forensic testing in 2021 showed the victim was a white man in his late 50s to early 60s, about 5ft 6in to 5ft 9in, with blond hair and blue or green eyes, of athletic build. Radiocarbon dating placed his death between 2008 and 2012.
Despite more than 1,000 reports and DNA database searches in the UK and abroad, the victim remains unidentified. A 26-year-old man from Sudbury was arrested but released with no further action.
Chilling Details
In 2023, police revealed the man's hands had been cut off and his skull had 27 deep lacerations. The bones were dismembered cleanly at the joints, suggesting expertise. Brown said the most likely hypothesis is organised crime.
Home Office pathologist Dr Ginni Fitzpatrick-Swallow said there were at least 14 linear cuts on the skull, possibly from a heavy weapon with a sharp edge. She said the removal of hands and destruction of facial features appeared aimed at hiding identity. The medical cause of death was unascertained.
Unanswered Questions
Senior coroner Nigel Parsley recorded a conclusion of unlawful killing, stating the man died from a violent assault. He said: "We must remember that the Croft Man was somebody's son. He lived for 60 to 70 years. He may well have had family, he almost certainly had friends. It's a tragedy we cannot identify him as there must be some loved ones somewhere wondering where their loved one is."
Police continue to appeal for information. Brown said: "Our leading hypothesis remains that we believe the deceased was likely to have been the victim of organised crime."
