Plenty of theories... not a shred of evidence

ON his way to Saddleworth . . . a grainy CCTV image of the mystery man at Piccadilly Station

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FOR 12 weeks Saddleworth correspondent KEN BENNETT has followed developments in the search for the identity of the mystery body of Saddleworth moors. Here he examines the evidence and offers some theories.

WAS the man found lying at the side of a track at a Saddleworth beauty spot on an purposeful solo mission to kill himself?

What is the tantalising reason which drew him to make a tragic 200-mile journey from London to die from a deadly dose of strychnine poison on the solitude of Saddleworth moor?

For three months since the body of the man was discovered on Chew track, near Dovestone, Detective Sergeant John Coleman, of GMP’s Oldham division has been trying to unravel the daunting conundrum.

Detective Sergeant Coleman candidly admits when he was first alerted to the gruesome find on the morning of Saturday, December 12, he thought it would be a relatively straightforward case.

In fact it has turned out to be one of his toughest cases: The body carried no shred of personal identity. - nothing other than three scuffed rail tickets from his journey North, an empty plastic screw-top bottle and £130 in £10 notes.

Despite nationwide coverage, no-one has come forward with any knowledge of the man mortuary technicians have named “Neil Dovestones”.

Now John’s team is meticulously revisiting evidence gleaned from the man’s journey from Ealing by rail to Euston, Manchester Piccadilly and on to his arrival at Greenfield where he asked The Clarence pub landlord to be “directed to the mountains.”

But there is still a resolute silence over exactly who he is and where he is from: “Our mission is to tell a loved one, friend or family that the gentleman has passed on,” Detective Sergeant Coleman said simply.

Further examination of the body threw up another exciting, if daunting, challenge. He has an 11cm metal plate screwed into his left femur and when this was examined the search was widened to Pakistan. But unlike the NHS in England, Pakistan does not number the plates and consequently police is asking for assistance via Interpol.

“At the start of this investigation the man was potentially one of 64 million British subjects,” added Detective Sergeant Coleman.

“This expanded to include the 181 million people in Pakistan. Now we have narrowed that number down to 7,000.

“Our inquiries are targeted at narrowing that figure down prior to approaching hospitals in Pakistan.”

Police have not ruled out a link to an horrific plane crash in 1946, when a holiday DC3 ploughed into hills in the other side of Dovestone valley in 1946, killing more than 20 people.

More than 40 anxious people have contacted police asking if “Mr Dovestones” is their missing relative.

The fact he travelled North without carrying ID could mean he didn’t want to be found.

“There are up to 1,000 folk missing in the UK and sadly no-one knows where they have gone,” said Detective Sergeant Coleman.

“This investigation is a challenge and one the team is embracing.”