Mystery of man who fell to his death from bridge with bizarre items in pocket
The mystery surrounding a man who fell to his death from a famous bridge with a bizarre array items in his pocket remains unsolved 27 years later.
Attempts to find out who he was have proved futile after he fell from the Clifton Suspension Bridge and onto the River Avon in May 1996. He suffered catastrophic injuries so it was impossible to identify him.
Now, a charity is renewing calls to solve the mystery, but there's just a few clues to work off of. He was found with a strange assortment of items in his pockets including a book of Batman stories, a Bible and a penny whistle.
A packet of Silk Cut cigarettes, Thomas More's 1516 book 'Utopia', which was missing an outer cover and marked with the stamp 'property of West Glamorgan Council', were also found. The most crucial piece of evidence is a clear, passport-sized photo believed to be the man when he was younger.
A travel card picture found on the man's body (Avon & Somerset Police / Triangle News)
An updated image on what the man may have looked like at the time of his death (Hew Morrison / Locate International)He also had a handwritten cardboard sign on him that said 'Sleeping rough, thank you,' and is believed to have been between the ages of 25 and 35. He was 6ft tall, white, with collar-length brown hair, blue eyes and was of a medium build. Police also say he had a distinctive mole on his cheek.
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At the time he was found, he was wearing blue jeans, a black sweatshirt and a black leather jacket. It's believed he could have been a part of Bristol's squatting community, and also had in his possession an A-Z map of Britain, a London Shopper bag and a Eurohike Adventure guide map.
His other possessions include black sleeping bag, green towel, blue umbrella, black corkscrew, a blank Barclays bank giro slip, three disposable razors, a shaving stick, Lynx body spray, a yellow toothbrush, a tin opener, a red penny whistle, a white cup, and £6.61 in cash.
A travel card found on the body contained photos clearly showing the victim, without listing the individual's name. The case was closed by Avon and Somerset Police when it was referred to the coroner, following no suspicious circumstances found.
Now, Locate International has released a new image of the man created by forensic artist Hew Morrison. The new pictures show him as he may have looked at the time of his death, as the passport photo he was carrying is believed to be old.
"We believe he must have been visiting somewhere or travelling around," said Dave Grimstead, Locate International's CEO and co-founder. "So we're confident someone, somewhere must have interacted with him, or remembered him. That might have been in the Bristol area or anywhere else in the UK.
"Ask yourself if this is someone you encountered - maybe on the street, busking with a penny whistle, or while travelling around the country. He could well have been an interesting and memorable man to talk to, with a range of interests, so someone out there must remember meeting him."
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