Murder investigation underway after human remains found in pond
Human remains were discovered on New Years Eve at Oakwood Pond in Harlow
Last updated 4th Jan 2023
A murder investigation is underway at Oakwood Pond in Harlow.
There was a discovery of human remains there on New Years Eve (31 December 2022).
Essex Police confirmed yesterday (Tuesday 3 January 2023) that it is now a murder investigation.
The force were called shortly before 2pm on Saturday (31 December 2022) by a member of the public who reported a suspicious object in the water at the pond.
Forensic officers have since confirmed this to be human remains.
Detective Superintendent Rob Kirby, Head of Major Crime, said: “Through our enquiries at the scene and due to the circumstances in which the remains have been found, we believe this person’s death is suspicious and, as such, have started a murder investigation.
“The investigation is in the early stages and we have a large team of dedicated officers working around the clock on it.
“Specialist officers have been carrying out searches in the area and will continue to do so over the coming days.
“This includes looking to drain the pond to identify any potentially crucial evidence.
“We are working closely with the Environmental Agency and Harlow District Council in order to ensure there is no detrimental effect on the wildlife."
Detective Superintendent Kirby added: “This person is someone’s loved one and someone’s family member, and they will have questions about how and why they were killed.
“We’re committed to finding out what happened and who is responsible, and have a track record of holding criminals to account.
“If you live or work in the area, you will also continue to notice an increased police presence while we carry out door-to-door enquiries.
“We appreciate that this news has been concerning but we are doing everything possible to determine what has happened.”
If you have any information, CCTV, dash cam or other footage in relation to this incident, then police would like you to contact them.
You can quote incident 582 of 31 December when providing any information to make sure it gets to the right person as quickly as possible.