The body of an elderly man who went missing about a decade ago was found inside the freezer of an old and disused pub in London, UK authorities revealed on Monday, appealing for anyone who knew him to come forward.
Roy Biggs, who was reported missing in February 2012, was recovered by a team of builders renovating the pub, which was formerly known as Simpson’s Wine Bar in Newham, east London.
The Metropolitan Police Service has released a picture of Biggs, whose cause of death was found to be inconclusive following a post-mortem examination, police said.
The remains of Biggs, who would have been about 70 years of age at the time of his disappearance, were identified through his dental records.
“We believe that Roy’s body may have been in the freezer for a number of years,” Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Allen said.
Construction workers recovered the body in October 2021 while stored in a freezer in the basement of the then Simpson’s Wine Bar. His identity was confirmed just recently and detectives are now looking for relatives or anyone who knew him to help with the ongoing investigation.
“Speaking to people who knew him will help us establish not only his lifestyle and habits, but also when he was last seen,” Allen said. “If you knew Roy please do get in touch with us. His birth date was 8 Sept. 1944, we believe he would have been aged around 70 when he died.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s been a long time since you knew him, or if you only knew him briefly, any information may be of real significance to our inquiries,” she added.
Metropolitan authorities are urging anyone who has any information on Biggs to step forward and contact 020 8345 1570 or call 101. People with information who wish to remain anonymous can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit the CrimeStoppers website.
