Body of murdered man found in field is miner who vanished in 1967
- 11 months ago
The body of a murdered man found buried in a Nottinghamshire field has been identified as that of a miner and dad-of-six who vanished more than half a century ago.
The remains were uncovered by a construction worker digging in farmland in Coxmoor Road on Wednesday, 26 April.
Nottinghamshire Police launched a murder investigation after examinations revealed he’d been murdered before being buried at the site.
Officers made a significant break-through after a public appeal for information prompted a grandson to come forward.
Russell Lowbridge was only four years old when his grandfather, Alfred Swinscoe, went missing in early 1967 after drinking at the Pinxton Miners Arms in Derbyshire.
Family members had been waiting 56 years for answers after Alfred, aged 54 at the time, went missing in mysterious and unusual circumstances.
Mr Lowbridge, aged 60, contacted police following a media appeal for information about the unidentified remains.
DNA tests were carried out on Russell and Alfred’s son, now in his 70s, and matched against the bones exhumed from the ground. Notts Police revealed the new developments in an announcement on Thursday (June 8).
Police have launched a murder investigation and a team of detectives are working alongside a team of scientists to bring his killer to justice.
Alfred was a father-of-six and a miner, living in the small village of Pinxton in Derbyshire when he went missing.
Alfred worked at Langton Colliery from the age of 14 and was last seen at work on January 20, 1967.
He was ‘a cutter’ known for operating a machine that cut large chunks of coal out of the coal face for others to then break down.
He had the nickname of ‘Sparrow’ and was known as the “Champion Pigeon Man of Pinxton” due to his love of pigeon racing.
Four of his six children are still alive and he has a number of grandchildren.
His last known sighting, the Pinxton Miners Arms in Church Street West, was a popular watering hole for the mining community.
The pub, which no longer exists and has been converted into a house, is a short drive from where his remains were found on Wednesday 26 April.
His family have been informed of the DNA match and are being supported by specially trained officers as this complex investigation continues.
Detectives are now building up a picture of Alfred’s life, his past acquaintances, and a chronological order of what happened the night he went missing.
It is believed that Alfred was drinking with his two sons and friends on the night of his disappearance.
He was last seen at around 10.30pm when he gave his son some money to buy a round and then left to use the outside toilet. He never returned.
Detectives believe Alfred was killed and then buried in farmland around four to 6ft deep.
There were also a number of traumatic injuries found on his skeletal remains, which are undergoing further analysis.
Further tests are also being carried out to determine how he was killed and how long he has been buried at the sit
The remains were uncovered by a construction worker digging in farmland in Coxmoor Road on Wednesday, 26 April.
Nottinghamshire Police launched a murder investigation after examinations revealed he’d been murdered before being buried at the site.
Officers made a significant break-through after a public appeal for information prompted a grandson to come forward.
Russell Lowbridge was only four years old when his grandfather, Alfred Swinscoe, went missing in early 1967 after drinking at the Pinxton Miners Arms in Derbyshire.
Family members had been waiting 56 years for answers after Alfred, aged 54 at the time, went missing in mysterious and unusual circumstances.
Mr Lowbridge, aged 60, contacted police following a media appeal for information about the unidentified remains.
DNA tests were carried out on Russell and Alfred’s son, now in his 70s, and matched against the bones exhumed from the ground. Notts Police revealed the new developments in an announcement on Thursday (June 8).
Police have launched a murder investigation and a team of detectives are working alongside a team of scientists to bring his killer to justice.
Alfred was a father-of-six and a miner, living in the small village of Pinxton in Derbyshire when he went missing.
Alfred worked at Langton Colliery from the age of 14 and was last seen at work on January 20, 1967.
He was ‘a cutter’ known for operating a machine that cut large chunks of coal out of the coal face for others to then break down.
He had the nickname of ‘Sparrow’ and was known as the “Champion Pigeon Man of Pinxton” due to his love of pigeon racing.
Four of his six children are still alive and he has a number of grandchildren.
His last known sighting, the Pinxton Miners Arms in Church Street West, was a popular watering hole for the mining community.
The pub, which no longer exists and has been converted into a house, is a short drive from where his remains were found on Wednesday 26 April.
His family have been informed of the DNA match and are being supported by specially trained officers as this complex investigation continues.
Detectives are now building up a picture of Alfred’s life, his past acquaintances, and a chronological order of what happened the night he went missing.
It is believed that Alfred was drinking with his two sons and friends on the night of his disappearance.
He was last seen at around 10.30pm when he gave his son some money to buy a round and then left to use the outside toilet. He never returned.
Detectives believe Alfred was killed and then buried in farmland around four to 6ft deep.
There were also a number of traumatic injuries found on his skeletal remains, which are undergoing further analysis.
Further tests are also being carried out to determine how he was killed and how long he has been buried at the sit