The death of a loving dad who was found more than five years after going missing remains a mystery. Despite a lengthy inquest investigation which concluded today (June 21), coroner professor Alan Walsh recorded an open conclusion into the death of father-of-two James Hodgkiss.
The 34-year-old was last seen by his partner in the early hours of August 3, 2016. Nearly six years later, on January 24, 2022, his remains were found in a peat bog on Red Moss nature reserve close to Aspinall Way, Future Park, Horwich.
The remains were discovered by conservation landscapers cutting back trees and hedges at around 3pm that day. Join our WhatsApp Top Stories and Breaking News group by clicking this link James was formally identified by dental records, a forensic archaeologist, and forensic anthropologists.
However, an inquest at Bolton Coroners' Court which heard evidence fom both the period leading up to his disappearance and the time following his discovery could not answer how or when he died.