Second murder inquiry after body found in woods

Police have launched a second murder investigation in Cornwall after forensics revealed a body found in a woodland was not the one linked to the initial inquiry.

A man and a woman were arrested on suspicion of murder as part of a missing person case, with a man's body found in woodland between Truro and Probus on Tuesday, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

However, police have now said the body was not the man who was the subject of the initial missing person investigation. The missing person has still not been found.

The deceased man who was found in woodland, aged in his 40s, was being treated as suspicious and a separate second murder inquiry was under way, said police.

The force said officers attended a property in Sticker on Monday and arrested a 39-year-old man on suspicion of fraud as part of the missing person investigation.

It said further information came to light during a search and the man was rearrested on suspicion of murder.

A woman in her 30s from Newquay was also arrested on suspicion of murder on Wednesday after the discovery of the body in the woods at about 18:00 BST on Tuesday, said police.

The force said formal identification of the body had now been completed and it revealed the body was not that of the man subject to the missing person investigation.

Detectives said the body was a man aged in his 40s and his death was being treated as suspicious and will form part of a separate investigation.

His next-of-kin have been informed.

Det Supt Jon Bancroft said officers believed the two incidents were not linked.

"Detectives from the Major Crime Investigation Team will be considering all possible lines of inquiry and members of the public should be reassured every available resource is being utilised to do so," he said.

Det Insp Neil Blanchard, from the Major Crime Investigation Team, said the force appreciated how the "unique circumstances" surrounding the investigations might cause concern to the public.

"There is nothing to indicate any risk to the public and we are asking the people not to speculate online as the investigation continues," he said.

The pair arrested earlier in the week remain in police custody after warrants of further detention were issued, said the force.

Anyone with information about either investigation was asked to contact police or Crimestoppers.

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