According to authorities, the remains of a guy who vanished and was killed more than 20 years ago were discovered next to some abandoned cowboy boots in a scrapyard.
Today, detectives revealed that the bones discovered near St. Osyth, Essex, belonged to missing William “Bill” Long, who would have been in his late 70s by this point.
His bones were discovered in April of that year, three years ago, next to a distinctive pair of leather boots, and police are examining his death as a homicide.
The family of Bill has been informed and will now have the opportunity to lay him to rest, according to Detective Inspector Kevin Hughes.
They have questions about what happened to him, and our current priority is to provide them with clarification.
He continued, “We remain open-minded regarding how Bill died, even if the probe has been labeled a homicide investigation.
An estimated time frame for the man’s death has been established by forensic experts and anthropologists.
Along with contacting financial institutions, the NHS, the Department of Work and Pensions, and reviewing old local and national missing person reports, investigations into inquiries brought on by prior media appeals were also conducted.
Between March 1999 and March 2000, Bill was last noticed or thought to be alive.
On April 25, 2019, his remains were discovered at a scrapyard close to Clacton-on-Sea alongside a pair of brown cowboy boots.
Bill, whose most recent residence was Great Bentley, Essex, was identified by detectives using DNA samples taken from the skeletal remains.
Patricia, Bill’s sister, claimed that she hadn’t spoken to her brother since their father passed away 26 years ago.
After our father passed away in 1996, we lost communication with Bill, and we’re yearning to know what happened to him, Patricia said in a statement.
We regret not returning to Jaywick to check on him because he was weak and a prime target for con artists.
We learned more after cops informed us that Bill’s remains had been discovered.
When we don’t know what happened, dealing with grief and guilt is incredibly tough.
“This can be handled if you are afraid and want to stay anonymous. Please share any information you have with us.
Anyone with information is requested to call Essex Police and use the criminal reference number 42/64620/19.
We’re keeping an open mind as to what happened to Bill and how he ended up where he was found, said DI Hughes.
‘I need anyone who knew Bill, saw him, spoke to him, or has any information about him or his life at the time he was last seen to come forward and speak to my team,’ the person who has to come forward is stated.