Fenland 'no body murder case' to feature in TV show
The curious case of a missing Fenland man who was found alive five years after he was believed to have been murdered is to feature in a television programme.
‘The no body murder’ episode of 24 Hours in Custody - which airs on Monday (5) follows the case of Lithuanian-born Ricardas Puisys, who was last seen in September 2015 before completely vanishing without a trace from his home in Wisbech.
Investigations led detectives from the Major Crime Unit to discover Ricardas, who was 35 at the time he went missing, may have been the victim of a serious assault in the hours before his disappearance and the main line of enquiry was that he had been murdered.
The five year investigation began with key searches to discover the whereabouts of Ricardas’s body until the case took an unexpected turn and the team were given some hope he may be alive.
Superintendent Adam Gallop, who led the murder investigation, said: “While I always hoped we would find Ricardas alive all the evidence led us to believe it was highly unlikely. Given the fact no one had seen or heard from him our searches were focused on looking for his body and those responsible for his death.
“He had literally vanished and no one ever saw him again.”
Three years into the investigation the case took an unusual turn when officers discovered a Facebook page had been set up by someone claiming to be Ricardas. The team were then faced with the difficult task of identifying the owner of the account and finally finding Ricardas, with new hope that he may be alive.
Through the investigative journey the team uncover disturbing details about the dark and dangerous world of modern slavery in Cambridgeshire.
Superintendent Gallop added: “This was one of the most unusual cases I have ever led. We had strong evidence to suggest Ricardas had been murdered and there was no trace of him after September 2015.
“When we found the Facebook page it gave us hope but it still took time and a great deal of good detective work to discover the truth behind Ricardas disappearance and finally locate him.”
Tune in to Channel 4 for 24 Hours in Police Custody at 9pm on Monday (April 5).
