The Bolney Torso is the name given to the partial remains of an unknown male decedent that were discovered in woods near Bolney, Southern England in October 1991.
Bolney Torso | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1950s Southern Germany? |
| Died | early October 1991 (aged 30–45) England |
| Body discovered | 11 October 1991 |
| Burial place | Western Road Cemetery, Haywards Heath |
| Known for | Mysterious death and unknown identity |
Discovery of the body
editOn Friday 11 October 1991, Colin Oliver, then 62,[1] discovered the torso in woods off Broxmead Lane in Bolney, Sussex.[2][3] Oliver was walking home to Burgess Hill from Cuckfield along Broxfield Lane. He stopped along the lane and went through a gate leading to a field.[4] He went into the trees to urinate and found a bloody torso rolled up in a piece of carpet in undergrowth.[1][4] Oliver then walked to the Burgess Hill police station to alert the police to his discovery.[4] He claimed to have been so disturbed by the discovery that he had trouble sleeping for several months afterwards.[4]
Initial description of the victim
editThe remains were found to be of a male who was believed to have been in his 60s at the time of death.[1] The head and hands of the victim had been removed[5][3] and the severed head and limbs were never found.[1] One arm had been severed 6 inches (15 cm) below the elbow and the other 2 inches (5 cm) below the elbow; this appeared to have been done in order to remove an identifying tattoo.[1] The arms and head appeared to have been removed with an axe or bolt cropper.[1]
The victim was described as white, had a protruding belly,[3] was circumcised and had a small star-shaped mole on his right thigh.[2]
The victim was wearing turned up trousers from Fosters[6] and a blue shirt with a distinctive motif on the pocket.[2]
Investigation
editThe investigation to find the identity of the victim and the murderer was assigned the name Operation A23, employing 60 people and costing £150,000.[1] DCI Peter Kennett led the initial inquiry.[4] Detectives searched files of over 100 missing men without finding a match and appeals for the public to come forward with an identity were fruitless.[1]
Suspects
editIn December 1991, police were contacted by a local estate agent with a potential lead; a large rented house in Copyhold Lane, Cuckfield, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the deposition location of the body, had been abandoned which raised their suspicions.[1] Police investigated the property and found a copy of Penthouse magazine containing an article about dismembering bodies with numbers scrawled on the pages.[1]
Gunter Josef Knieper, from Dresden, Germany, and Kornelia Maria Teusel first rented the property in September 1991 paying £10,000 (6 months rent) in advance.[1] The couple abandoned the property some time around 9 October 1991. Knieper, who had been using the pseudonym Dr Matthias Herrman, was being sought in Germany and Ireland on suspicion of business fraud.[1]
In June 1992, Knieper was arrested in Spain. Police interviewed Knieper in Frankfurt and established that the gang intended to start a fraud operation, but Knieper denied any involvement in the murder of the victim.[1] In August 1992, police admitted there was no evidence to link Knieper to the murder.[1] In January 1994, police returned to Germany to interview another unnamed male who had visited the property in Copyhold Lane.[1]
Burial
editOn 2 August 1994, after a brief service,[1] the remains of the victim were laid to rest at Western Road Cemetery, in Haywards Heath.[5][2] The coffin bore the name "Unknown Male"[3] Eight people attended the paupers funeral paid for by Mid Sussex District Council.[1] The mourners in attendance were representatives of the police, coroner's office and Mid Sussex District Council.[1]
Subsequent events
editIn December 1995, a few days before Christmas, some flowers and a note were left at the victim's grave. The note bore the message: "For the unknown male, Peter and team, remember our loss."[1]
Re-investigation
editIn March 2009, police exhumed the body in the hope that advances in forensic techniques would provide additional information.[5][2] On 12 November 2009, the case appeared on the BBC programme Crimewatch.[6]
In 2010 it was reported that, following media appeals on Crimewatch UK and its German equivalent, numerous suggestions for the victim's identity had been received; however, none bore fruit. Police stated that three missing persons had been discounted as the identity of the victim and their families had been informed.[7]
In 2011, it was revealed that evidence gathered in 2010 indicated that the victim had been dressed post mortem[2] and that the clothes did not belong to the victim.[3] The re-investigation examined a femur, rib bone and toenail from the victim. This revealed that the victim likely came from southern Germany or a surrounding country.[2] Analysis of the toenail suggested that the victim spent the last year of his life in the UK or the French/German border.[3]
Revised description of the victim
editThe revised description of the victim was that his height was between 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) and 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) tall, aged between 30 and 45[5] and most likely in his late 30s at the time of death.[3] The victim had a strongly built upper body.[3] Analysis of the skeleton indicated that the victim was strong, well-nourished and healthy at the time of his death and had no signs of any degenerative illness.[8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "'Bolney torso' riddle still baffles police". The Argus. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
- ^ a b c d e f g "New clues in headless man inquiry". BBC News. 2011-10-11. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "New clues in Bolney Torso mystery". The Argus. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
- ^ a b c d e "Why the 'Bolney Torso' killing is still unsolved 27 years later". Mid Sussex Times. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
- ^ a b c d "Video: New information about the Bolney torso". Retrieved 2018-11-03.
- ^ a b "Police check new leads after Bolney torso television appeal". Retrieved 2018-11-04.
- ^ "Three men ruled out of Bolney torso case". The Argus. Retrieved 2018-11-04.
- ^ "Sussex Police still trying to solve riddle of headless body". The Argus. Retrieved 2018-11-04.
