Mystery of French rambler found dead nearly a decade ago in a Winchester barn will never be solved, coroner admits

The mystery of a French rambler who was found dead inside a barn in Winchester almost a decade ago will never be solved, a coroner has admitted.

In 2017, an international investigation was launched after the body of a Frenchman was found in a barn in the English countryside.

The wanderer – found with a Sony Walkman and a Martina Cole novel among other possessions – had been dead for at least a year.

Detectives in England, investigators in France, and human identification experts in Scotland joined forces to try to identify the middle-aged man and how he died.

But, now at an inquest into his death, it emerged that the mystery remains unsolved.

Jason Pegg, area coroner for Hampshire, said his identity ‘cannot be ascertained’ – adding: ‘We cannot say what happened to him.’

The man’s body was discovered in 2017 in a remote barn in Micheldever, near Winchester, Hampshire, during a police search for ‘stolen property’.

After an investigation, the man was believed to be French and between 35 and 50 years old.

Pictured: A Winchester street atlas with handwriting which was found by police officers in the barn

Pictured: A pair of glasses with an attachable neck cord which were found at the scene

An examination of the man’s teeth led pathologists to conclude that he had come from a region of either south-eastern France, Switzerland or the French island of Corsica.

His body had lain there for at least a year and could not be identified because of the level of decomposition and skeletisation.

At Winchester Coroner’s Court, homeowner Robert Weightman, from Itchen Stoke, near Micheldever, said the man asked him if he could camp in his garden in 2012 and told him that he had walked to Itchen Stoke from Dover.

Mr Weightman said that he was walking to Ireland to then travel to Canada after that.

He told the inquest that he gave the man a rucksack, a woolly hat, a torch, and an A-Z of Winchester, all of which were found near the body by police.

Mr Weightman said: ‘The man arrived at the property at 3.30pm, and set up his tent. The man did not have many things with him.

‘He was French and spoke with an accent. He had been in the military for two years, having been conscripted.

‘He said he had walked from Dover and was walking to Ireland to then travel to Canada.’

It was heard that Mr Weightman’s neighbour, Lucy Baring, had initially been asked for permission to camp in her garden.

Mr Weightman suspected the man had some mental health issues.

The inquest heard the man had not been the victim of an assault prior to death, and that he had been dead at least a year.

The post-mortem carried out by Dr Basil Purdue was unable to identify the man and could not detect the cause of death.

During the inquest, a statement from police officer Douglas Utting was read.. It said: ‘Police were searching a disused farm building near Micheldever for stolen property.

‘During the search, they came across the human remains in the first floor of the derelict barn. It was on a farm formerly known as Borough Down Farm. The site was derelict.’

Pictured: A black Karrimor rucksack covered in dirt and dust was found inside the Winchester barn 

Pictured: A blue polo shirt with a ‘Casual – Spotif’ label was amongst the items found at the scene

Pictured: Another facial reconstruction image of what the Frenchman may have looked like without his hat and glasses

An appeal to identify the man was launched both in the UK and in France in 2019.

This included a reconstruction of the man’s face and prompted three people to come forward as witnesses.

During this investigation, Locate International launched a new appeal in southern France in an attempt to solve the case.

The UK-based charity looks into the cold cases of missing people and unidentified bodies.

The police released reconstructed images of the man’s face in an attempt to reach people who might know him.

University of Reading geochemist Dr Stuart Black said the man likely grew up in either southern or south-eastern France, western Switzerland or Corsica.

Pollutants were also found, indicating that the man spent his early life in a sizeable town or city, and had a diet which was rich in marine fish.

Concluding the inquest, Mr Pegg said: ‘I am grateful to Mr Utting for his report, and the investigations which have taken place.

‘This man will have to be reported as an unknown male, despite the investigation that took place.

‘The identity of the man found in the barn cannot be ascertained.

‘The only proper conclusion is an open conclusion. We cannot say what happened to him.

‘In the event the family is identified, they have my best wishes.’

In 2019, police launched an appeal to help trace the man’s identity.

Pictured: A pair of well-used yellow and grey gloves were also found inside the barn where the Frenchman’s body was discovered

Pictured: A singular black glove covered in dirt was found by officers when they searched the barn

The force said at the time: ‘We have released a facial reconstruction image that has been produced by Dr Christopher Rynn at the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee.

‘Detectives have also released images of the clothing the man was wearing, and items that were found in the barn in Micheldever.

‘Items include a black Karrimor backpack, a Blacks olive green sleeping bag, yellow protective gloves, a Sony Walkman, a Winchester street atlas and the Martina Cole novel, Close.

‘Clothing included a pair of pale Fruit of the Loom tracksuit bottoms, a navy blue zipped Outdoor Scene fleece jacket, dark coloured black woolly hat, size 10 Wellington boots, and a pale Marks and Spencer long-sleeved shirt.’