Case of unidentified man's death re-opened

The body of the man, who was about 60-years-old at the time, was found by a group of youths in a barn within the grounds of Red Lodge, Donnington, at about 1pm on March 4, 1979.
The investigation is part of a force-wide campaign called Operation Nightingale, which was launched this week.
The Thames Valley Police Major Crime Review team, which often investigates unsolved historic cases of homicide and serious sexual assault, want to establish the identity of eight unrelated cases of unidentified bodies from fatal incidents dating back to the 1970’s.
Talking about the Donnington case, Detective Sergeant Craig Kirby said it is possible that at the time the body was found no-one had been to the barn since the summer of 1978.
He added that the man may have been a ‘man of the road’ - travelling from town to town.
“May-be he was travelling through Donnington or may-be he was local to the Newbury area,” Det Sgt Kirby said. “The man may have been seen by members of the local community at the time.
“We have progressed the review to the point where we need further lines of enquiry from the public.”
The unidentified man (artist's image right) is described as very thin, with grey eyes, grey receding hair, moustache and no teeth.
He was wearing a grey single breasted jacket by J.W Marples, Chesterfield, a single breasted grey raincoat by Sartor House, Manchester, a size 16” light grey and blue striped shirt and a green checked tie with orange stripes.
An inquest into the man’s death was held at Parkway House, Newbury, on April 12, 1979. The cause of death was recorded as exposure, with a verdict of misadventure.
Det Sgt Kirby added: “Unfortunately there are a large number of missing people in the UK and there are approximately 1,000 unidentified bodies in the UK - that is the scale of the problem facing police forces.
“We are working to bring closure for as many families as possible. We are committed to solving as many historic cases as we can.”
Anyone with information that can help identify the man found in Donnington should contact police on 101 and quote ‘982 12/11/12’ or email opnightingale@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
If you don't want to speak directly to the police, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.
No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.