Coroner rules Croft Man killed in violent assault

A coroner has ruled that an unidentified man whose mummified remains were found in a Suffolk river six years ago was the victim of a violent assault and was likely unlawfully killed. The individual, known as the Croft Man, was discovered in the River Stour near Sudbury in August 2020, but investigators believe he died more than a decade earlier.

Suffolk’s senior coroner, Nigel Parsley, concluded the inquest on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, stating the man died from a violent assault. The coroner noted that the removal of the victim’s hands and significant injuries to his head and face appeared to be a deliberate attempt to prevent identification. He concluded it was more likely than not that the Croft Man was unlawfully killed.

The discovery was made on August 27, 2020, when a dog walker, Julie Dunn-Beechin, spotted two black bin bags in the water. Her dogs showed interest in the bags, prompting her to call a park ranger. The ranger, Samuel Morgan, looked through a hole in one bag and saw what he believed was mummified skin and bone, along with rocks, bricks, and a partially dissolved toilet cleaner. Police were alerted.

A fingertip search of the riverbed two days later led divers to a...