Daniel McFadden, 65, was killed in gruesome circumstances where a mattress and other debris were thrown over his battered body before being set alight inside his flat
A “gentle” man who was walking home from his favourite bar was completely unaware he would be brutally attacked.
Daniel McFadden, a 65-year-old retired labourer, was struck over the head three times with a blunt object inside his home in Halliwell, Bolton. He suffered a broken jaw, fractured right cheek and fractured skull – but that was not what killed him.
The attacker piled a mattress, clothing, papers as well as a portable radiator before setting them alight. There was no sign of a break in and it was suspected either Daniel left the door ajar or had let his killer in. A neighbour heard an explosion as the fire blew out the windows of the flat and oxygen rushing in causing a blast. Firefighters who attended at 3:37am on June 17, 1998, believed they dealt with a regular flat fire before they found Daniel under the debris.
At the time detectives said, despite his injuries, he would have likely survived, the Manchester Evening News (MEN) reported.. A post-mortem later found he died from carbon monoxide poisoning. The following year a coroner recorded a conclusion of unlawful killing.
No one has been ever been brought to justice over his murder. Originally from County Donegal, Daniel lived in Bolton, Greater Manchester, for 14 years and met with other elderly people in pubs. Police believe he left his flat at about 10:30am on June 17 and was seen sitting on a bench in Newport Street in Bolton town centre. He went to several pubs throughout the day in Chorley Old Road, including Funny’s Bar and the Victory Arms. It is believed he arrived back home at about 4:30pm.
Speaking to the MEN days after his death in 1998, his brother Charles McFadden said: “He was a quiet gentle man, always dressed smartly, clean shaven, wearing a collar and a tie. He was just a nice person. Why anyone would want to hurt him is beyond belief.”
Detectives have struggled to find a motive for the attack as Daniel had no known enemies and little money. Rumours circled that he might have come into money after selling the family farm in Ireland but police found no evidence of a windfall. In 2014, the MEN found that 11 people have been arrested with suspicion of murder but that no one had been charged. The Greater Manchester Police’s Cold Case unit said “no case is ever closed” and that “any new information could help bring Daniel’s killer to justice.”
To call the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Cold Case Unit, you can call 0161 856 5978. You can also report information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
