An unknown man was found dead in a field in Lancashire in December 2023 and despite extensive efforts to identify him, including public appeals, it took a year to name him
An unknown man was found dead in a field in Lancashire in December 2023 and despite extensive efforts to identify him, including public appeals, it took a year to name him
Following the conclusion of an inquest, a man who was a John Doe for over a year has now been identified.
The unidentified man’s body was found on December 7, 2023, by police in a field near Pilkington Wood on Horrobin Lane, Chorley.
Despite thorough investigative efforts, detectives were unable to identify the deceased and released an artist’s impression to the public to help with the identification process.
Notably, the deceased man’s jacket had been removed and laid over him, and the Wellington boots he wore were placed beneath him. He had sustained facial injuries, including a missing part of his ear.
However, authorities later confirmed that there were no suspicious elements to his death.
Efforts to identify the man extended internationally, with the National Crime Agency and Interpol circulating the sketch, while local inquiries and techniques such as facial recognition, fingerprints, and DNA analysis were employed.
Approximately nine months later, through the use of familial DNA, relatives of the deceased were located abroad, finally leading to his identification, reports Lancs Live.
Detective Inspector Paul Price spoke out once the man was identified, though his name was not released to the public, saying: “We know that you will have seen a number of appeals over the last year, including on ‘Cause of Death’, and I wanted to be able to provide you with an update.
“I also wanted to thank you, the public, for all the assistance you have provided following our appeals in sharing information with us. Your assistance is invaluable in helping us with our enquiries, and I am so relieved that the man has now been identified and can be reunited with his loved ones.”
The case gained public attention after being featured on Channel 5’s series ‘Cause of Death’, which tracks ongoing investigations in the coroner’s court. In this particular case, Lancashire’s Senior Coroner Dr James Adeley expressed a strong commitment to establishing the identity of the deceased before closing the inquest.
An inquest on Thursday (April 3) concluded with the identification of the man as 42 year old Polish-born fisherman Krysztof Nowak.
Dr James Adeley, Lancashire’s Senior Coroner, determined: “Krysztof Nowak was found on arable land on 7 December 2023 at Pilkington Wood, Horrobin Lane, Chorley.
“The cause of death was unascertained although possible causes of death were hypothermia, cardiac disease or metabolic abnormality due to a fatty liver. There was no evidence of any third part involvement in the death.”
