Updated 27/08/2021
On the 27th August 2020, male remains were discovered after a member of the public alerted a wildlife ranger to two black bin bags in the River Stour near Meadow Gate and Croft Bridge. The bags were found to have bones inside and a submerged shopping trolley was also discovered nearby.
Suffolk police launched a murder investigation and a thorough search of the river and the surrounding area took place over the next 10 days. Detectives then revealed the victim was a man of “athletic or muscular build” but a cause of death has not yet been established.
DNA taken from the remains of the man has so far also failed to match anyone on the UK Missing Persons Bureau. Police also ruled out that they were the remains of missing teenager Luke Durbin.
In the investigation, Officers have collated in excess of 300 exhibits - both physical and forensic - and seized CCTV from almost 70 systems across the town.
Detectives have also revealed that they are keen to trace a man seen swimming in the river Stour a week before the discovery, at around 5pm on Thursday, August 20, in the area of the Victorian Bathing Pool and Meadow Gate Bridge. Officers would like to speak to him as he may have been a regular user of the river and is therefore a potential witness.
He is described as having olive skin, aged 20-30 years old, with short black hair around 2-3 inches long on top and short at the sides. He was wearing black shorts and was carrying a red rucksack, along with other items of clothing. He left the river through the Victorian Bathing Pool and walked off towards Friars Meadow.
The Investigation
On the 25th of May 2021, A man was arrested in connection with the discovery of the bones. Suffolk Police said a 26-year-old man had been arrested and had also been arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply. Police said a second man was also arrested in relation to drug offences but not in connection with the discovery of the human remains.
Police said tests to establish the timescale in which the victim died are continuing, as were efforts to identify him through the comparison of DNA across national and international databases. Officers are searching a property in Sudbury following the two arrests.
On August 27th 2021, police revealed that the victim may have died between 2008 and 2012.
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