Police deny multiple bodies discovered in woodland in hunt for missing man
Devon and Cornwall Police have been searching a small wooded area after the body of missing man Daniel Coleman, 43, was found.
His remains were found in Paramoor Woods, located just off the A390 between St Austell and Truro in Cornwall.
Earlier today, the local police and crime commissioner (PCC) said officers had found multiple other bodies there – but the police service has now said is 'categorically' untrue.
Speaking at a Police and Crime Panel, PCC Alison Hernandez said: 'There is a large crime scene that has been identified in Cornwall that is requiring a lot of effort to even scene guard the area.
'The level of expertise, some of the mutual aid we've brought in, is expertise in specific types of investigations that we didn't have. The National Crime Agency is supporting the organisation at the moment.
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'I want to thank all the other forces that are coming in at a very busy time for themselves to offer mutual aid. It's largely investigative mutual aid that we've brought in.
'Until some of those elements have been established of exactly what we're dealing with there, it will be made public at that time.
'I know there's been some information in the media. We've got a huge forensic tent down there. Lots of forensics officers, obviously we've found dead bodies in that wood.
'We're just trying to establish how many there may be at this point in time and whether we are aware of who they are or what might have happened to them.
'So we also don't know how long they may have been there, some of them.'
The Daniel Coleman case
Police put out a missing person appeal after Daniel Coleman, 43 and from St Austell, was reported missing on June 1.
Daniel's remains were found in Paramoor Woods earlier this month, and police believe he was killed at some point between June 2 and July 7.
James Desborough, 39, was charged with Daniel's murder on July 9.
Desborough appeared before Bodmin magistrates court on July 10 and was returned to custody until August 8, when he is due to appear at Truro crown court.
A woman aged in her 30s from Newquay, who was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of murder, remains on police bail while enquiries continue.
Devon and Cornwall Police has now said that 'no other remains', other than those of Daniel Coleman, have been found in the patch of woodland in question.
Detective Superintendent Jon Bancroft said: 'We currently have three separate murder investigations being conducted in the Cornwall area.
'I have oversight of all of these investigations at this time, and can confirm they are being carried out independently of each other and are not believed to be linked.
'I can categorically state that we have recovered remains believed to be those of Daniel Coleman only from an area of woodland in Sticker.
'No other remains have been located at this scene to date.'
Det Supt Bancroft added: 'James Desborough has been charged with the murder of Daniel Coleman and will next appear before Truro Crown Court on 8 August.
'It is imperative that we continue to respect the integrity of the formal court process and ensure the administration of justice is not compromised in any way.
'We hope members of public understand that, for this reason, we cannot comment further on the defendant or the investigation.
'I would also urge people not to speculate on this case, particularly on social media, and risk prejudicing these proceedings.
'Publication of material which does so could lead to a criminal offence under the Contempt of Court Act.'
Ms Hernandez has since apologised for her remarks, saying: 'In trying to be helpful I responded to an operational question at the police and crime panel, however, I was not fully up to date with the facts of the investigation.
'I apologise for any alarm this may have caused.
'The police have operational primacy over these matters. Any investigation will unfold rapidly and I was not in possession of all the facts at that time.'
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