Victim's Possessions

Case History
The victim was discovered by a gamekeeper on Thorny Grange Moor, at a remote location on the Earl of Swinton's grouse moors at Colsterdale in North Yorkshire, near Masham, on May 25, 1997. Despite the best efforts of 20 agencies including the Police National Missing Persons Bureau based at Scotland Yard, the identity of the man has never been established.
Although the cause of death is not known, it is not being treated as suspicious. He may have died during the late 1970's or early 1980's. The skeletal evidence and accompanying belongings indicate that the man was an eccentric character well used to walking the moors.
One theory was that the man might have been a parachutist, but inquiries with the Parachute Regiment brought no leads.
In October 2003, Coroner Geoff Fell recorded an open verdict on the unknown man, whose possessions included a 1958 shilling and a 1971 one pence coin – the only real clue to the date when he might have died.