Mystery 1971 skull reconstructed

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/staffordshire/6187050.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Police investigating a man's death more than 35 years ago are using new technology to make an appeal on the BBC's Crimewatch programme.

A passer-by found a partially buried skull in a field near a mill in Burton upon Trent, Staffs, in March 1971.

The buried body of a man in a kneeling position was discovered, only wearing socks and a ring and with his hands and ankles tied.

A digital facial reconstruction of his head has been created.

The images, designed by a specialist at Dundee University, are due to be shown on Crimewatch on Monday evening.

There could be someone - in Burton or anywhere in the UK - who had a husband, son or brother go missing in 1969 or 1970 who they've never traced Det Ch Insp Dave Garrett

Police said three years of extensive inquiries at the time failed to identify the man, who had been at the site off Newton Road for up to 15 months, it is believed.

He is described as being aged between 23 and 39, 5ft 8ins tall with short brown straight hair, and he was wearing a gold wedding ring.

Staffordshire Police's Major Investigation Department in Lichfield recently started a cold case review into the death.

Neck condition

Det Ch Insp Dave Garrett said: "There could be someone - in Burton or anywhere in the UK - who had a husband, son or brother go missing in 1969 or 1970 who they've never traced.

"It is very rare for an unexplained death to remain unsolved in Staffordshire.

"We hope these new images may jog people's memory."

A DNA sample has also been obtained, with the aim of helping detectives identify the man, if possible relatives come forward.

Police excavated the site after a man walking his dog found the skull on the evening of 27 March 1971.

The body had upper dentures and there was extensive dental work on the bottom teeth.

The man suffered from torticollis - a neck condition that would have caused his head to lean to his right.