Fresh hunt launched for Navy sailor feared to be Frankenstein Killer victim
Police in Gibraltar have begun a fresh search for a Royal Navy sailor who vanished nearly 40 years ago and is feared to have been a victim of the “Frankenstein Killer”.
Seaman Simon Parkes, from Bristol, was last seen in December 1986 when the ship he was serving on, HMS Illustrious, was docked in the area on its way home from a tour of the Far East. The 18-year-old is thought to have been a victim of Allan Grimson, a former petty officer who was serving on board the aircraft carrier at the same time, who was later jailed for life for the murder of two young men.
He was given the monstrous nickname owing to his large forehead. A large search was carried out at the time but the ship returned to Portsmouth without him.
After receiving new information, officers from Hampshire Constabulary have now returned to the Town Range car park where previous investigations were carried out in August 2023. Police have also previously carried out digs at a cemetery in the British Overseas Territory.
A force spokesman said: “Officers investigating the disappearance of a young sailor more than 30 years ago are carrying out a small amount of further excavation work at Town Range car park in Gibraltar as we follow a potential further line of enquiry. A working group led by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, comprised of detectives and specially trained search officers both from the police and military, will be carrying out the work in Gibraltar during the week of 15 January as we continue to investigate what happened to Simon Parkes.
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Simon had been aboard the HMS Illustrious, docked in Gibraltar (Getty Images)”The operational activity is part of our work to assess a new line of enquiry that has been presented to us. This latest activity follo
ws work carried out in August 2023 where a small amount of excavation work was undertaken at Town Range car park. Whilst nothing was found to progress the investigation a further potential area of interest within the car park was identified to us. This investigation continues to be a collaborative operation between Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary and Royal Gibraltar Police with support from the Ministry of Defence.
“No one knew what had happened to him despite a huge manhunt to find him. Since then investigations into his disappearance have so far failed to find answers for his long-suffering parents.”
Allan Grimson served aboard the same ship at the time (Hampshire Police / PA)
It was first thought the young seaman had gone AWOL (Hampshire Constabulary)When Simon did not return to the ship, his commanding officers, and his family who were later notified of his disappearance, assumed he'd gone AWOL. He had left his belongings on board, including his passport and Christmas presents for his family and girlfriend.
Grimson was jailed in 2001 at Winchester Crown Court for the murders of naval rating Nicholas Wright, 18, from Leicestershire, and barman Sion Jenkins from Newbury, Berkshire. He has always denied being involved in the disappearance of Mr Parkes.
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