A skeleton found next to a pair of cowboy boots has been identified and police are investigating the discovery as a possible homicide.
William “Bill” Long’s family lost contact with him in the 1990s and now, with the help of a forensic anthropologist, the skeleton has been identified as his own.
It was discovered in 2019 in a scrap yard in the town of St Osyth, Essex, next to the beach, and sparked intensive research on who the remains belonged to and how they died.
Image: William ‘Bill’ Long was last seen alive between March 1999 and 2000
This included not only working with the anthropologist, but also a review of historical reports of missing persons and checks with financial institutions, the NHS, and the Department of Labor and Pensions.
Mr. Long would now be 70 years old and was from the nearby Tendring area. He is believed to have done casual work in scrapping.
Police believe Mr Long was last seen, or is believed to have been alive, between March 1999 and March 2000 and had a girlfriend who had moved to Australia at the time.
Image: The scrap metal where Mr. Long was discovered
Detective Inspector Kevin Hughes, of the Kent and Essex Directorate of Serious Crimes, said: “The process to identify Bill has been measured and methodical.
“They have told Bill ‘s family and now they have a chance to let him rest.
“They have questions about what happened to him and our goal now is to get them answers.
“We keep an open mind about what happened to Bill and how he got to where they found him.”
He called for everyone who knew Bill, saw him, talked to him, or had information about him, to show up.
Family fault
Mr. Long’s sister, Patricia, said that after her father’s death in 1996, the family lost contact with Mr. Long.
She said in a statement issued through police that her brother was “vulnerable” and an “easy target for scammers” and that the family felt guilty for not consulting with him.
“We are desperate to get information about what happened to him,” he said. “It’s very difficult to deal with pain and guilt when we don’t know what happened.”
Mr. Long’s death is being investigated as a homicide, but police say he keeps an open mind about what happened.
• People can send any relevant information online at www.essex.police.uk or use the “Live Chat” button to talk to an online operator between 7am and 11pm, citing the reference number of the crime 42/64620/19.
You can also call the police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.