A HEARTBROKEN family of a man whose skeleton was found at a former scrapyard say they are struggling to deal with “the grief and guilt” following his identification.
William ‘Bill’ Long’s sister Patricia has spoken out for the first time since police confirmed bones discovered in Cockett Wick Lane, St Osyth belonged to her brother.
According to Patricia, Mr Long and his relatives, including his brother, lost contact after their father died in 1996 and it was their understanding Mr Long had moved abroad.
The latest revelations, more than three years after the skeletal remains were unearthed by a site worker in April 2019, have devastated the family.
Patricia said: “After our father died, we lost contact with Bill and we are desperate for information about what happened to him.
“He was vulnerable and an easy target for scammers and we feel so guilty we didn’t go back to Jaywick to make sure he was OK.
“The next thing we knew was when detectives came and told us Bill’s remains had been found.
READ MORE: Detective vows to bring killers to justice as identity of skeleton is revealed
“It’s so difficult to deal with grief and guilt when we don’t know what happened.
“If you are afraid and want to remain anonymous, this can be arranged. Please help us with anything you know.”
Det Insp Kevin Hughes, from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, who is leading the investigation, said the force is now treating the death as a murder.
He also said finally being able to identify the remains was vital.
He added: “When I first took over the case in 2020, my first objective was to establish who had died and identify any surviving family members and provide them with a first-class service.
“We have reached out to Bill’s family and established his main points of contact as being his sister and his brother.
“They have been able to tell us about what his life was like and the lifestyle he led and also described him as vulnerable, which is a concern.
“But, they thought he was living his life in Australia, so they were devastated by the news of Bill’s loss.
“I then wanted to establish how the individual died and, if there was a third party involved, to bring them to justice.
“Quite rightly, his family has a lot of questions and we remain determined to get them the answers they need.”
Det Insp Hughes also said, although the most recent development signifies positive progress, the investigation will still forever remain tainted by a sense of sadness.
“We would not have got here without the support of the public and those who had a connection to the scrapyard,” he added.
“As a team, to invest this amount of time and resource into trying to get to where we have got to over the last three years, there is a sense of satisfaction.
“But, that is, of course, coupled with the bitter sweetness of having to then go and give that sensitive and emotive news to a family - it was so important we got that right.”
Anyone with information about Mr Long's death can call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting crime reference number 42/64620/1.
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