‘Face’ of mystery man found dead in reservoir released as police hunt answers
Experts at Liverpool John Moores University have worked alongside police to help identify a man who was found dead in a remote reservoir more than a year ago.Dyfed-Powys Police has released a digital image of the man, whose body was spotted by a walker in Claerwen Reservoir, Powys, on October 17, 2024. Who the man is remains a mystery as officers continue their investigations toswolve his identity.Officers hope new technology will finally lead to a breakthrough. It is believed he had been in the water for up to 12 weeks before he was found, and aside from the wetsuit he had on, there were no other items of clothing, jewellery or modes of transport found in the area, and he had no distinguishable marks like scars or tattoos.Detective Inspector Anthea Ponting, who has led the investigation, said: "In the absence of any personal belongings other than the wetsuit he was wearing, no identification documents or vehicles nearby, we began by working with neighbouring police forces to conduct checks for missing or wanted people who had not been traced."When this was unsuccessful, we extended our enquiries to contact all UK forces, ran searches through the Police National Database, and issued bulletins to police overseas through Interpol. We have also searched DNA, fingerprint and dental records for potential matches, and issued public and media appeals for information."Extensive investigations have revealed he was aged between 30 and 60, around 6ft (1.83m), weighing between 202lbs and 220lbs (91.5kg - 99.5kg), and of white European descent.With the mystery still currently unsolved, Dyfed-Powys Police has worked with Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University to produce an image of what they believe the man looked like in the hope it will finally lead to an accurate identification.Face Lab used photographs, a post-mortem report, forensic dental report and a CT scan of the deceased man to produce the picture. The image has also been shared with the Police National Computer and Interpol for matches.DI Ponting said: "Until now, the only item available to progress our investigation was the wetsuit the man was wearing, which provided us with limited information around his height and weight."I urge anyone who thinks they might recognise him to come forward. This is someone's family member – someone's loved one – and I would like nothing more than to return him to his loved ones who might be missing him."Director of Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University, Professor Caroline Wilkinson, added: "Face Lab works with police forces from around the world and facial depiction from human remains can act as a tool for recognition, providing new lines of investigation in relation to identity."Hopefully, someone who knew this man will now recognise his face and our facial depiction can support the police to finally identify him."Dyfed-Powys Police urged anyone who visited the reservoir between July and October 18, 2024, and might be able to help with the investigation, or was aware of someone who had not been seen for some time and matched the description above, to get in touch.You can do so using the public portal, calling 101, or emailing 101@dyfed-powys.police.uk. Otherwise, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111, or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.Ensure our latest news headlines always appear at the top of your Google search by making us a preferred source. Click here to activate or add us as a preferred source.
