Martyn Richardson: Police confirm body found is missing man

Martyn, 27, had been missing since August 24 and officers had carried out extensive searches over the subsequent months to find him.

Officers were called to an area of waterway near The Chase, Bocking shortly after 12.30pm on Saturday, November 16, 12 weeks after Martyn was last seen.

An organised group of public volunteers had been leading a fresh search in the area ahead of planned police-led searched along the river the following day.

Sadly, a member of the public alerted officers to a body in the water.

After further work, the body has been formally identified as Martyn.

Found - Martyn Richardson (Image: Essex Police) Martyn’s family have been informed as the force is continuing to support and update them through this hugely difficult process.

A file is being prepared for the coroner.

Inspector Phil Jackson said: “Firstly, I pay tribute to Martyn’s family and friends, the thoughts of all of us remain with them.

“This is an awful update. 

“I know all too well this is the news no-one involved in this search, particularly the family and friends of Martyn, and the wider community in Bocking, wanted to hear.

“I only hope this confirmation serves to provide some form of closure for Martyn’s loved ones."

Search - Officers searched the area extensively (Image: Essex Police) Since Martyn went missing, officers carried out extensive searches in the area he was last seen and where his bike was found.

Officers visited almost every street around his home address and the town centre to secure as much CCTV as possible, and studied 900 different pieces of footage to try and piece together his last movements.

Checks were carried out around his finances, his phone, and his online presence to try and find clues as to where he went and what might have happened to him.

Every sighting officers received was followed up and investigated, and the force spoke to dozens of witnesses.

Forensic checks were carried out on his bike and other items that were recovered as part of the investigation.

Essex Police say the investigation into the river close to where Martyn was last seen was just as intensive, taking in the search of almost three miles of waterways.

Difficult - The force says locating someone in the water is widely acknowledged to be a difficult process (Image: Essex Police) Sadly, locating someone within water is widely acknowledged to be a hugely difficult process, where they may not remain in one position, can become stuck in an unreachable location until the surrounding environment changes, and when surrounding debris can cause wider issues.

Essex Police used water search teams, kayaks, had specialists wade the length of the stretch where Martyn was last seen, and deployed an underwater drone.

They also deployed forensic recovery dogs on rafts along the river and the bank, which included utilising specialist resources such as the Marine Unit to search the river and the Drones Unit to search from above.

Essex Search and Rescue colleagues played a vital role in this work, providing more than 700 hours of searching covering an area of 176 hectares.

Praise - The force 'acknowledge, wholeheartedly thank and praise' the volunteers (Image: Newsquest) Essex Police said through their appeals and sharing the information they gathered throughout the search, the support of the public in continuing to keep Martyn’s case in the public eye was invaluable.

Inspector Jackson said: “I want to recognise the role and tireless involvement of volunteers and search groups in this search, led by Martyn’s friends and family. 

“It was their search and their efforts which led to the final discovery of Martyn’s body.

“I acknowledge, wholeheartedly thank and praise these volunteers for their vital role in providing the family with closure in this case.

“In the face of this incredibly challenging time for them personally, Martyn’s family supported our work and treated my officers with grace and understanding while we searched.

“All of us share our condolences, and our thoughts remain with Martyn’s friends and family.”

If you have been affected and need someone to talk to, please reach out for support.

You can call Samaritans on 116 123, or Mind on 0300 102 1234.