Particle.news
Download on the App Store

North Wales Police Relaunch Clocaenog Forest Murder Probe With New DNA Push and £20,000 Reward

The review team is using expanded DNA databases alongside newly released facial reconstructions to generate fresh leads.

Overview

  • Operation Tractile has been renewed to identify an unknown man whose near-complete remains were found in Clocaenog Forest in November 2015 during a Wales GB Rally stage.
  • The death has been treated as murder from the outset, with investigators determining a violent assault and a body likely undiscovered for more than a decade.
  • Detectives released seven confirmed findings: born before 1950, likely died between 2004 and 2011, probably Caucasian, 5ft 8in to 5ft 10½in tall, well built, longstanding back problems, and several missing teeth before death.
  • Age-progressed images show how the man may have looked in his 50s, 60s and 70s, and police are appealing to anyone who recognises him or recalls a similar missing person from the mid-2000s.
  • Crimestoppers is offering up to £20,000 for information that leads directly to those responsible, with tips accepted anonymously and the reward valid until 16 April 2026.