Hampshire barn body: Cold case reinvestigated after new evidence

Detectives are hoping new information will help identify a man whose body lay in a disused farm building for up to five years.

The remains were discovered in 2017 near the village of Micheldever, Hampshire, by officers investigating an unrelated burglary.

Six years later, with his identity still unknown, a new appeal has been launched in France.

It follows scientific work done on the remains by the University of Reading.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary believes the man died of natural causes, as there were no signs he had been attacked or restrained.

Officers previously said he was wearing a dark woolly hat, a blue fleece jacket, tracksuit bottoms and size 10 Wellington boots.

A sleeping bag, road map and rucksack were found near him in the barn, which suggested he had been living outdoors for some time.

In 2019, a public appeal identified witnesses who had met the man in the late summer of 2012.

He asked the witnesses if he could camp overnight in their garden in the small village of Itchen Stoke, just over seven miles from where the body was later found.

They described the man as having a French accent and speaking good English. He was white, aged 35 to 50, about 5ft 8ins (1.73m) tall, with brown hair.

He told the witnesses he was travelling through England to reach Ireland or Canada - and claimed to have served in the French military when younger.

It is also possible that he was deaf or hard of hearing in one ear.

Despite this information, and various DNA tests, fingerprint analysis and dental examinations, the force has been unable to identify him.

Using new expert analysis of bone and teeth samples, Locate International has launched a new appeal in southern France in an attempt to solve the case.

The UK-based charity looks into the cold cases of missing people and unidentified bodies.

University of Reading geochemist Dr Stuart Black said the man likely grew up in either southern or south-eastern France, western Switzerland or Corsica.

Pollutants were also found, indicating that the man spent his early life in a sizeable town or city, and had a diet which was rich in marine fish.

Dave Grimstead, CEO of Locate International, said the key to solving the mystery seemed to lie in France.

"He died alone, but we want to make sure he is not forgotten after his death," he added.

Doug Utting, from the Serious Case Review team at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, thanked the charity and the University of Reading for their help with the case.

He said: "Through this new appeal, I hope we can hear from people in those areas that recognise the man described as someone they may know and who they have not seen or heard from since 2012."

The force has urged anyone with information to get in contact.

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