Police and amateur detectives think new information about a key discovered with the man may help identify him and bring to an end a 40-year-long mysterious death
Investigators attempting to crack a 40-year-old unsolved death believe they have found the key that might unlock the mystery – literally.
A man was tragically found hanging from a tree in woods in the Midlands 39 years ago, and to this day detectives still don’t know who he is. The 1987 discovery by two men shooting in Coronation Wood in Swinfen, near cathedral city Lichfield, has become a decades-long mystery that has stumped police and amateur sleuths alike.
However, a new appeal may have provided an important clue. New information has shed some light on a key fob with the number ‘6’ found on the man, who was described as a ‘friendly loner’ that spoke ‘good English with a strong Eastern European accent’, reports Birmingham Live.
“We take all possible leads seriously, but this one appears especially promising,” said Mark Greenhalgh, CEO of Locate International, a charity that investigates cold cases of missing and unidentified people.
He added: “Someone of this description would have stood out, so we’re confident other people will remember him from the Lichfield area at the time.”
The Coronation Wood man was found on Sunday, April 5, 1987, but cops probing his death thought he died a week earlier. He was said to be in his mid-50s, 5ft 8ins (173cm), of a slender build, with short, dark mousy hair which was greying at the sides and back, and a greying moustache on the edge of his upper lip.
Distinctively, he only had two teeth in his bottom jaw.
Detective Chief Inspector Louise Booker, of Staffordshire Police, added: “We are determined to identify this man and establish who he was after nearly 40 years.
“We urge anyone who recognises his description, clothing or personal belongings to come forward. No piece of information is too small and could help us finally provide answers about his identity.”
Locate International teamed up with Staffordshire Police to launch a new appeal for information last month, which led to several people to get in touch. They suggested a man bearing a similar appearance swam at the weekend in the now-closed Friary School’s pool in the mid-80s.
The man is said to have spoken ‘good English with a strong Eastern European accent, possibly from Russia’. He was described as a ‘friendly loner’, who had a lot of interesting stories to tell.
And investigators are now looking into whether a key that was discovered in possession of the man who died, that had a metal fob with the number ‘6’, might have been used at the swimming pool lockers.
The ‘number 6’ key fob was one of a handful of personal items found on the man when he died. Others included handkerchiefs, a blue comb, a disposable lighter, two copper coins, and two ‘Ladbrokes’ pens.
Investigators said these suggest he maybe spent time at betting shops –and ask: “Did you visit betting shops in the area at the time, or know someone who did? Does he look or sound familiar?”
Detectives are also asking for the public’s help to answer the following new questions:
- Did you use Friary School swimming pool in the early to mid-1980s, or work there? Or is there anyone you know who might have done? If so, please share this appeal with them.
- If so, do you recall an Eastern European or Russian man matching this description?
- What do you remember about him, or what did he tell you? Even the smallest details can make a big difference to the investigation.
- Do you have any photos from the swimming pool at the time?
- Take a look at the key fob. Could it have come from the swimming pool? Do you have any images of the locker keys and fobs used there at the time?
Anyone with any information on this case, is urged to email: appeals@locate.international , to call 0300 102 1011 or to contact Staffordshire Police on 101 quoting crime reference: 147 of 12/05/2026.
