Man's unsolved murder after body hidden in weeds

Julius Matera, pictured with his aunt, was described as a "happy, gentle soul"

A £50,000 reward has been offered for information on the unsolved murder of a "timid" and "trusting" man found dead in Salford.

Julius Matera, 43, was missing for just over two months before a tip-off led police to an address in Great Cheetham Street West on 4 December 2023.

His body was found in a dense patch of Japanese Knotweed between the bottom of the garden and a rugby and cricket club.

Three arrests were made but no-one has yet been charged and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) offered the reward as part of a BBC Crimewatch Live appeal which aired this week.

Det Insp Rachel Smith, leading the investigation for GMP, told Crimewatch that Mr Matera had been reported missing on 24 October 2023.

He was classed as a high-risk case because of "vulnerabilities" including very poor vision and alcoholism.

Mr Matera's body was found in an area of dense Japanese Knotweed between houses and a rugby pitch

His family had described him as "mild-mannered" and "remarkably friendly" "timid" and "trusting", which led to bullying in the past.

Det Insp Smith said: "From what we were told about Julius during the investigation, he was a kind, quiet soul.

"He was taken advantage of by others; people would bully him, pick on him and this may be what has led to his death."

Detectives got a break on 4 December 2023 when a woman called GMP to say she had been at a gathering where a man had made a comment suggesting Mr Matera had been harmed, and that there had been "a stabbing".

Based on that call, GMP searched a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) on Great Cheetham Street West.

Nothing was found inside, but when the search moved to the back garden an officer noticed a pair of discarded glasses.

Det Insp Rachel Smith said Julius was a "kind, gentle soul"

That led them to explore the dense weeds covering a slope between the bottom of the garden and Broughton Cricket and Rugby Club, where the body was found and later formally identified as Mr Matera.

Painstaking forensic work - including from an entomologist who analysed insect activity on the body - gave an estimate of when he had died.

That, combined with data showing when Mr Matera had last used his phone, led detectives to conclude he had been killed between 20:30 BST on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 October 2023.

Police believe due to his poor eyesight he may have stumbled through a broken fence after being stabbed and fallen into the weeds.

'Contagious laugh'

In a statement, Mr Matera's family urged anyone with information to help "his soul find peace".

The said "Julius was remarkably friendly, considerate, respectful, funny, and adventurous. He was always ready to help when he could.

"He had such an adventurous spirit and a curious mind that made him want to explore and discover things in his own special way with a keen ambition in current affairs and commentary."

They said everyone who knew Mr Matera "missed his contagious laugh".

"He had a way of making people smile even in the toughest of times and is remembered for that smile and a chuckle that captured his joyful spirit," they said.

The £50,000 reward is on offer for key information leading to the case being solved.