A body has been found in the hunt for Kelvedon man Chris May, who mysteriously disappeared three years ago.
The senior detective responsible for the investigation says he “strong believes” the body to be that of 28-year-old Mr May.
A call was made to Essex Police on May 14 by a member of the public who reported finding a body in woodland in Faulkbourne.
The body was forensically recovered and a post-mortem examination held the following day was inconclusive.
However, Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Jennings said: “I strongly believe the body which has been found is Chris May, 28, from Kelvedon.”
DCI Jennings said inquiries were now being conducted to establish how he died.
Mr May, of St Mary’s Road, was last seen by his father in Coggeshall on May 25, 2015, and his car was found abandoned in Troy’s Chase, Fairstead, around 11.30am that morning.
Detectives announced in 2016 that they were now treating his disappearance as a murder investigation.
They said at the time that Mr May’s involvement in drug using and dealing was likely to have been a factor in his death.
DCI Jennings added: “Chris’ family are continuing to receive support from a specialist family liaison officer who has worked with them since Chris went missing in May 2015.
“His body was found less than a fortnight before the third anniversary of his disappearance.
“The priority for me now is to seek answers for his family and for the coroner to piece together his very last moments.
“This is an extremely difficult time for Chris’ family who have asked to be given the space to grieve for him and come to terms with his body being found without intrusion.”
After news of Mr May’s disappearance went public, four letters by anonymous authors claiming to know information regarding his whereabouts and what happened to him were sent to police. Two were found to be hoaxes.
Anyone who thinks they have any information about Mr May’s last movements in May 2015 is asked to contact the North Major Investigation Team on 101.
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