Two men were arrested today by detectives investigating the gruesome woodland murder in Salford. One suspect was taken off a bus near Salford Royal Hospital and a second was also held in the city.
Both are being held under suspicion of murder. An investigation began on April 4th after human remains were found in the Kersal Dale area. A passer by found in plain sight, near a footpath, the lower back, buttocks, and a thigh of a man wrapped in cellophane.
The victim is white, and believed to be aged 40 plus. Today the investigation took a dramatic turn. A man who was travelling on a bus was arrested as the vehicle appraoched the junction of Eccles Old Road and Lancaster Road near the hospital. A second suspect was held later.
The discovery of the remains triggered a 12-day search of Kersal Dale and nearby Kersal Wetlands with 100 GMP officers deployed but no further body parts have been found. Last weekend the search was resumed but again called off when a pungent odour which triggered it was found to be sulphur.
Both suspects are known to each other and live in the Salford area. Early on in the investigation, another local man, aged 20, was arrested on suspicion of murder but was released under investigation.
In a statement GMP said: "We have arrested two men from Salford on suspicion of murder. They are in custody being questioned concerning the human remains found in Kersal Dale on 4 April 2024.
"Around midday today officers stormed a bus on Eccles Old Road and arrested a 42-year-old man on suspicion of murder. Later this afternoon, a 68-year-old man was arrested at an address on Worsley Road on suspicion of murder. The men are believed to be known to each other.
"This significant breakthrough in our investigation comes as the result of in-depth enquiries over the past three weeks. Specialist detectives in GMP’s Major Incident Team have conducted hundreds of hours of CCTV trawls and followed numerous lines of enquiry, leading to them tracing a person of interest and arresting two men from the local area."
Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes of GMP’s Serious Crime Division, said: “Today’s arrests are undoubtedly a significant step in our investigation, and our focus now is questioning the men in custody, which could be key to finding answers.
“We are continuing to work round the clock looking through every single line of enquiry that we have established, and you may see further searches in the city over the coming days as work to leave no stone unturned.
“At the centre of our efforts, remains our victim. Our investigation is moving at pace, and we are determined to identify him and find out how he has met this tragic outcome.
“This victim could be a father, brother, son, or cousin. He is a man over the age of 40, with white skin tone, believed to be European, and most likely had blonde or light brown hair and blue eyes.
“We continue to appeal to anyone missing a loved one who matches this description to come forward. We are by no means finished with our investigation; we are still in the early stages of finding out what has happened but please be reassured that we are making good progress.
“We still need your help, anyone out there who thinks they know something, or have maybe seen something suspicious in the area – please think about this victim, and a family that will one day hear the most devastating news – come forward for them by calling 101 and quoting log number 2695 of 4 April 2024.
“If you would like to remain anonymous, details can be shared via the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.”
