Lancashire murder mystery leads detectives to dig up garden more than 200 miles away in Gloucestershire

Detectives from Lancashire Police have descended on a home in Gloucestershire to investigate an unsolved murder from 2002.
By Matthew Calderbank
Published 4th Mar 2019, 14:25 BST
Updated 4th Mar 2019, 15:27 BST
Darren Carley was 24 when he went missing from his family home in Swindon in January 2002. His remains were found on farmland in Charnock Richard, near Chorley six months later.Darren Carley was 24 when he went missing from his family home in Swindon in January 2002. His remains were found on farmland in Charnock Richard, near Chorley six months later.
Darren Carley was 24 when he went missing from his family home in Swindon in January 2002. His remains were found on farmland in Charnock Richard, near Chorley six months later.

Lancashire Police arrived in Cinderford, south-west England, this morning (Monday, March 4) to investigate the unsolved murder of 24-year-old Darren Carley.

Mr Carley disappeared from his family home in Swindon in January 2002. On July 26, human bones were discovered on farmland in Charnock Richard, near Chorley.

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The grisly discovery led Lancashire Police to launch a cold case murder investigation into the circumstances of the man's death.

Darren Carley was 24 when he went missing from his family home in Swindon in January 2002. His remains were found on farmland in Charnock Richard, near Chorley six months later.Darren Carley was 24 when he went missing from his family home in Swindon in January 2002. His remains were found on farmland in Charnock Richard, near Chorley six months later.
Darren Carley was 24 when he went missing from his family home in Swindon in January 2002. His remains were found on farmland in Charnock Richard, near Chorley six months later.

But it took sixteen years before police, using advanced DNA techniques, were able to positively identify the skeleton as belonging to Mr Carley.

A post mortem examination in 2002 revealed that Mr Carley had died from blunt force trauma to the head.

But detectives have struggled to establish how Mr Carley sustained his fatal injuries and who is responsible.

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Inquiries have now led Lancashire Police to a quiet residential street in the Forest of Dean.

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Lancashire detectives have set up a forensic tent in the communal gardens of Miners Walk in Cinderford, which is expected to remain in place for "a number of days".

A Lancashire Police spokesman said: "Police investigating the murder of Darren Carley are searching an address on Miners Walk in Cinderford.

"This area has been secured by officers from Lancashire Constabulary and the cordon is likely to be in place for a number of days.

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"It is expected to cause minimal disruption to the local community.

"The current occupants of the address are not linked to the investigation and temporary accommodation has been sourced for them. We are grateful for their cooperation.

"Human remains were found on farmland in Charnock Richard, near Chorley, on July 26, 2002.

"This sparked a major investigation; however, the identity of the man remained unknown for over 15 years.

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"In 2017, advances in DNA allowed police to identify the body as Darren Carley who went missing from his home in Swindon in January 2002. He was 24 at the time.

"Following the identification, a fresh appeal for information about Darren’s murder was launched in October 2018.

"A 50-year-old man from Gloucester and a 36-year-old woman from Worcester were arrested on October 16, 2018 on suspicion of murder.

"They were later released under investigation."