Mystery of dead man found in field solved after 12 month investigation

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The identity of a man found dead in a Lancashire field has been solved more than a year after his body was discovered.

The man’s death was featured on Channel’s 5’s ‘Cause of Death’ series last year, with detectives and the Lancashire coroner unable to say who he was or how he died. You can watch a clip from the ‘Cause of Death’ episode about the mystery man above (click to play).

What happened?

The man’s body was found by a member of the public in a field in Dean Brook, near to Horrobin Lane, Rivington at around 2.50pm on December 7, 2023.

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He was face down at the side of a wall and it was believed he had been there for a few days before his body was discovered.

Strangely, the man was without a phone, wallet or identification, leaving police with no indication as to his identity.

The man has been identified after a year-long investigation. His body was found on December 7, 2023, in a field in Dean Brook, near to Horrobin Lane in RivingtonThe man has been identified after a year-long investigation. His body was found on December 7, 2023, in a field in Dean Brook, near to Horrobin Lane in Rivington
The man has been identified after a year-long investigation. His body was found on December 7, 2023, in a field in Dean Brook, near to Horrobin Lane in Rivington | Lancashire Police

“It’s very, very strange”

Lancashire Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious, but DI Paul Price of South CID described the circumstances of his death as ‘very, very strange’.

The dead man’s jacket had been taken off and placed over the top of him, like a quilt. He had a pair of Wellington boots which were no longer on his feet, but instead had been placed beneath him.

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His pants had been pulled down and he had suffered injuries to his face, including part of his ear which was missing. A pair of pliers were found next to him, prompting DI Price to consider whether the man had been deliberately harmed.

The man was believed to be between 40 and 50 years old, described as medium build, with a dark goatee-style beard and cropped dark but slightly greying hair. He was wearing a green 'Foxy' jacket, black 'Slazenger' tracksuit bottoms, a white/grey 'Soulcal & Co' t-shirt, and green coloured wellington boots.

Lancashire Police

DNA match

A year-long police investigation included liaising with other forces, the NCA and Interpol, as well as making local enquiries and circulating appeals on social media. Facial recognition, fingerprints and DNA were also used to try and identify the man, without result.

However, the man has now been identified using familial DNA located in another country. However, the cause of his death remains a mystery.

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Lancashire Police said his family have been informed and they have asked that he is not publicly identified.

You can watch a clip from the ‘Cause of Death’ episode about the mystery man in our video player below...

“Not suspicious”

Lancashire Police say his death is not being treated as suspicious, however, further work is being conducted to establish the cause of death.

DI Paul Price, of South CID said: “We know that you will have seen a number of appeals over the last year, including on ‘Cause of Death’, and I wanted to be able to provide you with an update.

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“I also wanted to thank you, the public, for all the assistance you have provided following our appeals in sharing information with us.

“Your assistance is invaluable in helping us with our enquiries, and I am so relieved that the man has now been identified and can be reunited with his loved ones.”

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