Mystery behind dead man found naked and wrapped in tarpaulin at beauty spot
A dead man was found naked and wrapped in tarpaulin, at a remote beauty spot.
The body of Adam Shaw was discovered by a camper at Key Wood, near the River Churnet, not far from Alton Towers, on October 11 last year.
Some of his clothes were in a neat pile beside him, but strangely his phone, coat, trainers and wallet have never been found.
There was no sign of a struggle, or that Adam, a dad to a four-year-old son, had been injured, police said.
Around four weeks before he was found, the 41-year-old’s concerned family reported him missing to Staffordshire Police after he failed to collect a prescription.
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An inquest into his death heard that there had been sightings of Adam with a female companion in a car that had become stuck in the mud on September 17.
Another walker spotted Adam staring into the distance over the river later that night.
Key Wood, River Churnet, near where Adam's body was discoveredBut it wasn’t until October that his body was found in dense woodland, across a river where there is no crossing.
StokeonTrentLive reported PC Adam Coomer told the hearing: "We believe that Adam and his female companion had bought drugs from a dealer and were en-route to a caravan park where they could use those drugs recreationally.
“However, the caravan park was busy so they tried to go to Hawksmoor instead. They got stuck trying to park. The female companion was seen walking along the road toward Cheadle on September 17.
"On October 11 we received reports that a body had been found on the other side of the river. The campsite was in heavy dense woodland.
"The naked body of Adam was found wearing no clothes, under a piece of tarp as if it was a blanket.
“His clothes were folded up next to him. It was very difficult as there was no obvious pathway and the items at the camp were very old. At the centre there was a fire pit but there was nothing to suggest there had been a fire.
"A forensic examination showed no signs of any disturbance or struggle at the camp. There was no obvious external injury.
“There was no clear pathway across the River Churnet, it is a wadable depth. His phone, coat, trainers, wallet have never been found. The car keys were found on the ground near where the car had been stuck.
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"I want to express how grateful I am to the civilian volunteers who helped us. I want to pass on my condolences on behalf of Staffordshire Police to the family."
The inquest heard that Adam had battled issues with heroin and monkey dust in the past, and had been in communication with various addiction services in Staffordshire.
Adam, a delivery driver’s mate, had been involved in a crash on February 17, where his van had rolled, leaving him with a pain he hadn’t recovered from.
He was also coming to terms with the death of his grandmother who died in the September, shortly before he died - and he had started going night fishing to cope with his bereavement.
Describing the lead-up to Adam's death, his mother, Christine Shaw, said: "On September 16 he had stayed out and came back, only to say he was going out to see a friend.
“On September 17, the chemist called saying he had not collected his prescription. On September 20, we reported him missing."
Staffordshire Police launched a missing person's appeal with eye-witnesses coming forward. A statement was read out on behalf of Michael Stone who said: "I was walking my dog in Hawksmoor Nature Reserve on September 17. I go there regularly to walk my dogs.
"I saw a male, who has since been identified as Adam and female in a car that was obviously stuck. They had parked with their back wheels over the embankment.
"The male was out of the vehicle with the female sat inside. I asked them if they needed help, to which the male responded that someone was coming with a truck. His speech was very slow and noticed there was a small amount of blood coming out of his nostril. Later that day, the same vehicle was in the same position with the pair eating a sandwich inside."
Eye-witness Marek Simanski said: "I arrived in Hawksmoor on the evening of September 17. I walked past a car that had been stuck. We paid no attention to it.
"We camped where we normally do. We heard shouting from far away. But we couldn't tell the direction it was coming from. When we were walking back the next evening it was dark and we were looking for mushrooms. I was shining my light about and my light landed on a man standing there. It made me jump. He was standing near the river, staring off into the distance. I asked him if he was ok and he didn't respond. He was just staring away from me.
"We came back at around 5pm or 6pm on October 2 and we heard shouting coming from a direction. We didn't know where. It sounded a little panicked. We were back on October 8 to our campsite. We had left a single potato out. Someone had peeled it and cut it into the shapes of French fries. There was no knife left so they must have brought one themselves. There were also full water bottles left.
"A few days later, we came across a little camp on the other side of the river. There we found a tarpaulin covering the body of a deceased man. I bought a new phone and called the police the next day, giving my name as John. I did not want to be involved with it."
A post-mortem examination revealed no evidence of any hemorrhage or any acute traumatic injury. The medical cause of death was unascertained as taking blood samples was not possible.
Concluding an open verdict, North Staffordshire coroner Andrew Berkley said: "We have gone through his history. We don't know what happened to him after September 17. There is a suggestion he had gone to the secluded area on the other side of the river. He may have used the tarp as a blanket. There was no suggestion he had been assaulted.
"From the evidence we have, I am afraid I am unable to say how he died. I am satisfied there was no evidence of trauma or anyone else at the scene. There is no positive evidence that allows me to rule a drug-related death. So for the record, I have to say that Adam Shaw was confirmed deceased on October 11 in the woodland known as Key Wood adjacent to the River Churnet near Oakamoor Road.
"The medical cause of death will remain as unascertained. The threshold of proof has not been reached therefore my conclusion is an open conclusion."
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