Coroner rules identity and cause of death unknown for French rambler found in Winchester barn

A coroner has concluded that the identity and cause of death of a man found in a derelict barn near Winchester in 2017 cannot be ascertained, bringing to a close an international investigation that spanned years of forensic work and public appeals.

Jason Pegg, area coroner for Hampshire, told Winchester Coroner's Court that despite efforts by police in England, investigators in France and human identification experts in Scotland, the only proper conclusion was an open one: "The identity of the man found in the barn cannot be ascertained. The only proper conclusion is an open conclusion. We cannot say what happened to him."

Police discovered the remains on the first floor of a derelict farm building formerly known as Borough Down Farm in Micheldever while searching for stolen property. The body, later assessed to be of a middle-aged man believed to be French and thought to be between 35 and 50 years old, had been at the site for at least a year and showed extensive decomposition and skeletisation that prevented identification through conventional means.

A post-mortem examination by Dr. Basil Purdue was unable to establish a cause of death, and pathologists concluded the level of decomposition made definitive identification impossible. An examination of dental features and isotope analysis led a University of Reading geochemist, Dr. Stuart Black, to report the man likely originated from southern or south-eastern France, western Switzerland or the French island of Corsica. Analysis also suggested he spent his early life in a sizeable town or city and had a diet relatively rich in marine fish.

Items recovered at the scene included a Sony Walkman, a Martina Cole novel, a Winchester street atlas with handwriting, a black Karrimor rucksack, a Blacks olive-green sleeping bag, yellow protective gloves, a navy zipped fleece, pale Fruit of the Loom tracksuit bottoms, size 10 Wellington boots and a pale Marks & Spencer long-sleeved shirt. Police released facial reconstructions prepared by Dr. Christopher Rynn at the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee as part of a public appeal to identify the man.

At the inquest, homeowner Robert Weightman of Itchen Stoke told the court that the man had approached him in 2012 asking to camp in his garden. Weightman said the man spoke with a French accent, told him he had walked from Dover and intended to travel on to Ireland and then Canada, and claimed to have served two years in the military following conscription. Weightman said he gave the man a rucksack, a woolly hat, a torch and an A–Z street atlas of Winchester — items later found near the body by officers. Weightman said he had suspected the man might have mental health issues.

A police statement read at the inquest described the scene and the circumstances of discovery. Detective Constable Douglas Utting reported that officers searching the disused farm building for stolen property discovered the human remains on the first floor of the derelict barn.

An appeal to identify the man was launched in both the United Kingdom and France in 2019. The reconstruction and publicity prompted three people to come forward as witnesses, and the UK-based charity Locate International conducted further enquiries in southern France as part of the cold-case review. Despite these efforts and forensic input from several jurisdictions, no family or conclusive identity was established.

Concluding the inquest, Mr. Pegg expressed gratitude for the investigative work and extended his best wishes should the man's family ever be identified. Because the cause of death could not be determined and no positive identification was achieved, the coroner returned an open conclusion, leaving the case unresolved.

Police previously said they had released images of the clothing and personal effects in hopes that someone might recognise them. The unresolved status of the case means the man will be recorded officially as an unknown male until new evidence emerges that can establish his identity or explain the circumstances of his death.