Forest body discovery still a mystery ten years on

POLICE REVIEWING INVESTIGATION OF DECOMPOSED MAN FOUND IN CLOCAENOG FOREST WHO IS STILL UNIDENTIFIED AFTER A DECADE WITH MURDER SUSPECTED

- By OWEN HUGHES Chief Reporter [e-mail]

Police tape in the Clocaennog Forest in Denbighshire where a body was found in November 2015

(North Wales Police)

TEN years ago two brothers went camping in the Clocaenog Forest, near Corwen. Andrew and Mark Middle were staying in the woods between watching the Wales Rally GB.

On November 14, 2015, Mark Middle was using a torch and looking for firewood when he saw what looked like a rock on the floor. Upon further inspection, he discovered it was in fact a skull covered in moss.

Police were alerted and attended the scene near Pentre-llyn-Cymmer and Llyn Brenig to investigate.

It was found to be the fully decomposed remains of a man, initially believed to have been buried in a shallow grave between 1995 and 2005. Over the following days, the vast majority of his skeleton was salvaged nearby with specialist help.

Years on, his identity continues to be shrouded in mystery as police have so far been unable to identify who this man was when he was alive.