24 May 2023 , 13:59
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The grisly discovery of human skeletal remains has sparked a murder investigation, with officers urging people to come forward with any information.
The bones were found during construction work on farmland in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, last month.
Experts are currently working to establish the identity of the victim and officers launched a murder investigation after finding injuries to the skeleton.
A post mortem examination found the remains are of a male, with an estimated age of death between 40 to 60 years old and a height of between around 5ft 4ins to 5ft 7ins.
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin said: “Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin said: “It is important to remember this is not just a collection of bones in a field.
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Forensic officers work within a police cordon (Joseph Raynor/ Nottingham Post)“This is someone’s loved one whose family will have undoubtedly been waiting many years for answers.
“His family are at the forefront of our minds and that is why we have been meticulous in our decision making by ensuring we were at the scene in Coxmoor Road for three weeks to ensure we can gather as much evidence as possible.
“It is imperative we provide his family with all the answers they need and the work we do now can ensure those responsible for his death are brought to justice.
“This will obviously be distressing for the local community to hear as at this moment in time we cannot provide identification.
Officers are attempting to identify the man (Nottinghamshire Live/BPM Media)“What I can say is we have a team of detectives working extremely hard alongside a team of scientists to gather as much detail as possible to help us identify the person.
“At this stage we believe the man was murdered due to the injuries sustained. This includes trauma to parts of skeleton, which are undergoing further analysis.
“We also believe he was buried at this site so no one could find him. It is also possible the burial site is also not the place where his murder occurred.”
Police originally believed the body could be that of Robin Barrows Spencer, a local man who was reported missing by his mother in June 2004.
Officers believe the man was named between 40 and 60 (Nottinghamshire Live/BPM Media)He was 47 years old at the time he went missing and a murder investigation was launched in 2006 surrounding his disappearance.
His body has never been recovered but a number of arrests were made at the time. However, no one has ever been prosecuted.
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Superintendent for the county, Claire Rukas said: “There is nothing to indicate there are any other bodies buried at the site. This is a single grave with a single deceased person in it.
“We have carried out extensive work over the last three weeks at the site to ensure no stone was left unturned.
“We know the woods around Coxmoor Road are a popular walking spot. We know the discovery of human remains will be alarming, but the public have nothing to be afraid of and they are safe to use.”