Manchester Airport car park body find remains a mystery
16.09.10
Mystery surrounds the death of a pensioner who lay undiscovered for six months near fencing at a Manchester Airport car park, MEN reports. The skeletal remains of Joe Goodwin were found in a brook just a few hundred yards from the airport on New Year’s Eve last year. A coroner was unable to conclude if Mr Goodwin died accidentally, or from natural causes during an inquest. Assistant deputy coroner Sally Hatfield ruled out unlawful killing, and returned an open verdict.
Mr Goodwin, 72, of Byron Street, Macclesfield, had not been seen since June, last year, after telling neighbours he was going on holiday to Malta. A concerned friend rang police in late October, more than three months later, but efforts to find him were unsuccessful. His body was found by a dog walker on December 31, last year between Thorley Lane and the Hilton Hotel roundabout, near the perimeter fence of JetParks airport car park.
The last person to see Mr Goodwin alive was a taxi driver who on June 10, 2009 at 16:30 drove him to Manchester Airport. He told the driver he was catching a flight to Malta. He was dropped off at Terminal 1. But Mr Goodwin never boarded any flight that day and enquiries with the Passport Agency revealed his passport was never used. Travel documents in the name of Joseph Goodwin were found on the body.
At 08:00 on June 10 Mr Goodwin had booked in at a hotel near the airport and paid cash. A hotel card was found near the remains along with a substantial amount of cash which ruled out a robbery motive. The court heard that there were no visible marks of trauma on the skeletal remains. Up to his disappearance Mr Goodwin had been drinking heavily and his health deteriorating – he had been diagnosed with diabetes.
He had numerous alcohol related falls and the last one was on June 9, 2009 when he attended A&E at Macclesfield Hospital. Why he ended up in the location remained a mystery, the court was told. The state of the remains was consistent with death occurring at about the time Mr Goodwin was last seen alive.
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