East Sussex murder body search: Police provide update

Last week, police said they started conducting searches near Marley Lane, in Battle, after new information was received in relation to an historic murder investigation.

Police said the information related to the potential location of the body of a man who was killed in 2001.

Detective Inspector Simon Dunn, senior investigating officer, said although the case was solved, the victim’s body was never found.

Last week, he said: “We have always welcomed any new information which may tell us the whereabouts of the body, so we can give the victim’s family the answers they’ve waited so long for. A viable line of enquiry recently came to light and was followed-up on, which is what led to this activity.”

Today (Wednesday, April 5), Sussex Police said police searches of the land near Marley Lane have been stood down.

Police added that despite ‘meticulous’ searches involving specialist teams, no evidence of a body has been found.

Detective Inspector Dunn said: “This was always going to be an incredibly complex task, given the nature of the area and the time that has passed since the victim’s death.

“Despite these challenges, we conducted a really thorough search involving experienced staff working at the site over a number of days, but unfortunately this hasn’t yielded any results.

“I’d like to thank the local community and businesses in the area for the support they have shown and for their patience and understanding while the searches were ongoing.

“The victim’s family have been updated and we will continue to explore any viable lines of enquiry that may help to tell us the whereabouts of the victim’s body.”

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