Sudbury: TV appeal in bags of bones case prompts new leads

Further remains were found during a police search of the river after the discovery of the bags by a member of the public

Police are investigating new lines of inquiry after the partial remains of man were found in bags in a river.

Remains were found in the River Stour in Sudbury, Suffolk, on 27 August 2020, sparking a murder inquiry.

Suffolk Police established the victim died between 2008 and 2021 and was a man aged in his late 50s to early 60s but are yet to identify him.

Following an appeal on the BBC's Crimewatch officers say the new information may help them with that.

Police have also established the victim's hands had been cut off and part of his skull was among the remains that had 27 deep lacerations.

The force believes the victim was likely to have been targeted by an organised crime group.

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Det Supt Mike Brown, the senior investigating officer, said: "I am grateful to those members of the public who have taken the time to provide us with information that they believe could be of assistance.

"As a result, we have some new lines of enquiry that we are following-up on and we will continue to pursue every lead that may help us either identify the victim, or provide information about those responsible for his death, or depositing the remains," he said.

One of the black bin bags contained a white Thing-Me-Bobs carrier bag, containing bricks

Two black bin bags were spotted in the River Stour, near Meadow Gate and Croft Bridge, by a member of the public before a third bag was found in a police search.

Officers uncovered part of the man's skull and jaw; the right and left arm bones and partial wrist bones and the complete lower right and left legs, including the feet.

Skull lacerations

The arms, legs and feet were partially mummified and there was a healed fracture to one of the wrist bones.

The bones had been cleanly dismembered at the joints, with the lacerations on the skull, not believed to be the cause of death, police said.

The force believes the bags, which had been weighed down with bricks and decorative stones, had not been in the water long.

Commercial air freshener blocks - which became obsolete in 2011 - were dumped with the human remains

A number of air fresheners, for commercial use in toilets, were also found in the bags.

These were found to have been a business-to-business janitorial product made by Jeyes, at a factory in Mold, North Wales, and became obsolete around 2011.

A 26-year-old man, from Sudbury, was arrested in 2021 in connection with the inquiry and released with no further action.

Anyone with further information is urged to contact police.