UK UK - Bolton, Human Skull near abandoned hotel, Mar'21

[Al Ka]

Police launch probe after 'human skull' is found near abandoned Manchester pub

An investigation has been launched after possible human remains including a skull was found close to an abandoned pub in Bolton.

Police have cordoned off an area of woodland near the boarded-up building.

Tests and forensic analysis is currently being carried out, Greater Manchester Police said tonight.
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Two eyewitnesses say officers were called to the area, just off Blackburn Road, near Egerton Park, at around 12.20am.

The couple who made the discovery, Danny and Felicity Duffy, run a paranormal investigation Youtube channel.

They spoke of their shock after discovering what they claim was a human skull.

An army-style jacket was also found close to the remains, they said.

The couple immediately dialled 999 to alert police.
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Danny said they are 'shaken up' by the discovery and were unable to sleep after police released them from the scene at around 3.30am.

'I've not slept,' Danny said. 'I can't get it out of my mind. I've never come across anything like that before.

'We both felt sad. Felicity has been quite upset. 'We've only slept for about an hour. As soon as I woke up I thought it was a bad dream.'

The couple were in the area filming when they made the grim discovery.

'We were doing our normal routine and about 10 or 15 minutes in we spotted something,' Danny says.

'There was a jacket on the floor. Then I saw what looked like a pebble on the floor.
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I moved the bushes to the side and it was a human skull in the tree line. It really did give us a shock.

'My legs turned to jelly. We rang the police straight away.'

Police launch probe after 'human skull' is found near abandoned Manchester pub | Daily Mail Online

 

[Al Ka]

Human remains found by abandoned hotel confirmed as skull

Investigators have confirmed that remains found outside an abandoned hotel in Bolton are human.

The skull was discovered by a couple who were filming around Egerton, just after midnight on Monday (March 1).

Forensic investigators are now working to establish the age of the skull and how long it has been there for.

Detectives are also working to ascertain how the remains came to be in the area.
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A search of the undergrowth surrounding the derelict hotel where the skull was found is continuing.
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“This was a very surprising discovery made in the early hours of Monday morning and we have been working ever since to establish the circumstances here,” she said.

Remains found at abandoned hotel confirmed as human skull

 

[ChatteringBirds]

They run a paranormal investigation Youtube channel. Maybe this person's spirit wanted his remains to be found? So he helped guide them there... maybe. (I want to believe in it. I'm not making light of it.)

 

[dotr]

Police launch probe after 'human skull' is found near abandoned Manchester pub | Daily Mail Online

It is not believed that the discovery is linked to any ongoing investigations, police say

''The couple who made the discovery, Danny and Felicity Duffy, run a paranormal investigation Youtube channel

'I moved the bushes to the side and it was a human skull in the tree line. It really did give us a shock.

'My legs turned to jelly. We rang the police straight away.'

He added: 'A police van came down almost immediately and two officers came to the scene.''

 

[jenpil]

History - Egerton House Hotel dates from around 1860. Before becoming a hotel the building was owned by a local businessman who had made his fortune in the mills.
In 1979 its owners extended the hotel’s restaurant. A two-storey extension was built in 1982 adding 16 more rooms and a residential lounge to the hotel.
A further expansion in 1996 added a separate building with a function suite for 70 people. New ownership took place of the 29-room hotel in 2010. It was closed in 2014.

So, abandoned for just over 6 years. Visited by quite a few Urban Explorers and YouTubers.

If the skull remains are found to be older than 6 years, then maybe someone was 'buried' when one of the extensions happened and there was a building site there.

Alternatively, the skull remains could be from when it was the site of an old mill, although I think someone would have found it before now, with all the renovations and extensions it's had over the years.

 

[Lucy6226]

As a local I'm very intrigued in this story, I'm just hoping it's not from recent times.

 

[Al Ka]

Someone local commented on my fb page suggesting Margaret Smythe.

29 year old Maggie Smythe was murdered and dismembered in Bolton in January 2019. Her partial remains were found behind abandoned local pub, the Red Bridge Tavern, dumped in river and some parts in shallow grave near by. Maggie's leg was later discovered in Longsight Park. Her head and one arm were never recovered.

'Animal' killed his ex and dumped bits of her body in a lake and a shallow grave
Man, 39, charged with murder of mum, 29, after body found behind derelict pub

I am not sure how far each location are from each other, location where skull was found and location where Maggie was found in Bolton in 2019, but I do think it is very good suggestion and possibility.

 

[sonz82]

I think this could be Margeret too.
Although when I saw the thread title Helen Mccourt popped into my mind.

 

[Lucy6226]

Someone local commented on my fb page suggesting Margaret Smythe.

29 year old Maggie Smythe was murdered and dismembered in Bolton in January 2019. Her partial remains were found behind abandoned local pub, the Red Bridge Tavern, dumped in river and some parts in shallow grave near by. Maggie's leg was later discovered in Longsight Park. Her head and one arm were never recovered.

'Animal' killed his ex and dumped bits of her body in a lake and a shallow grave
Man, 39, charged with murder of mum, 29, after body found behind derelict pub

I am not sure how far each location are from each other, location where skull was found and location where Maggie was found in Bolton in 2019, but I do think it is very good suggestion and possibility.

Yes I've seen this suggested too, although police don't appear to be linking it. I'm guessing the condition of the skull is a clue it's not recent/female/petite. I really hope it's not someone with living relatives as there's a YouTube video of the discovery

 

[dotr]

Video (blurred) of skull find at link.

YouTuber Danny Duffy (pictured) is seen picking up the skull while partner Felicity Duffy films the incident

Ghost-hunting YouTuber couple slammed after finding human skull and flaunting it on camera | Daily Mail Online
''A ghost-hunting YouTuber couple have been slammed after posting a video of themselves discovering a human skull - which one of them picked up and flaunted to the camera before calling the police.

Graphic footage, posted on the pair's YouTube channel, shows the self-titled 'urban explorers' stumbling across the remains in a wooded area near Bolton, Greater Manchester.

But in a shocking turn of events, YouTuber Danny Duffy is seen in the video picking up the skull while partner Felicity Duffy films the incident.

He then flaunts the skull to the camera during in a number of close-up shots while proclaiming 'this is as real as it gets'.

After three minutes of inspecting the skull, the pair finally call the police.''

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Video (blurred) of skull find at link.

YouTuber Danny Duffy (pictured) is seen picking up the skull while partner Felicity Duffy films the incident

Ghost-hunting YouTuber couple slammed after finding human skull and flaunting it on camera | Daily Mail Online
''A ghost-hunting YouTuber couple have been slammed after posting a video of themselves discovering a human skull - which one of them picked up and flaunted to the camera before calling the police.

Graphic footage, posted on the pair's YouTube channel, shows the self-titled 'urban explorers' stumbling across the remains in a wooded area near Bolton, Greater Manchester.

But in a shocking turn of events, YouTuber Danny Duffy is seen in the video picking up the skull while partner Felicity Duffy films the incident.

He then flaunts the skull to the camera during in a number of close-up shots while proclaiming 'this is as real as it gets'.

After three minutes of inspecting the skull, the pair finally call the police.''

How disrespectful, and what a way to treat a potential crime scene.

Is this whole situation even more suspicious than it initially seems, IYKWIM?

 

[coffeeandacig]

How disrespectful, and what a way to treat a potential crime scene.

Is this whole situation even more suspicious than it initially seems, IYKWIM?

Agreed. It's very odd that he would pick up a skull in a potential crime scene. I get the feeling they discovered the skull earlier during the day and then decided to stage their "scene".

 

[Susikatze]

Could be a staged thing (medical specimen skull?) to generate more views? It is a little too much coincidence ("haunted house"+just filming while discovering the skull...)... and why just a skull and no other bones or hair?

A bit suspicious imho

 

[AliceInPain]

You guys must not be in the same Facebook groups as me. It's not uncommon at all for people to find all types of skulls and bones and dubious stuff and post it on social media. The majority of them seem to skip the "call the police"-bit though.

 

[Susikatze]

I am i think, but generating more followers (=money) for a paid "paranormal activity" channel on youtube is a different thing than a random fb post (plus the latter is in 90% of all cases some old animal bones people pass off as "human").

 

[Susikatze]

Ive seen urbex channels on youtube generating views by announcing: "Haunted House. Body found".... and when you viewed it, the "body" turned out to be a dead opossum....
Placing a real skull there takes it to a new level of publicity, for sure.

I mean,not excluding the possibility of it being real, but it looks fishy

 

[sonz82]

Map showing from where Helen vanished to where the skull was found. According to articles about her killer, she is believed to be buried somewhere within that circle.





Apparently Simms is not allowed anywhere near that area or he may be returned to prison

Helen McCourt killer Ian Simms given order preventing him from visiting spots where he may have hidden her body

 

[Al Ka]

Guys, anyone seen anywhere more information about jacket or was it tshirt found nearby the skull?

If anyone watched video from the couple, did they show it there? Any photos?

Edit to add: Daily mail describe it as green army-style jacket

 

[coffeeandacig]

Guys, anyone seen anywhere more information about jacket or was it tshirt found nearby the skull?

If anyone watched video from the couple, did they show it there? Any photos?

Edit to add: Daily mail describe it as green army-style jacket

@Al Ka The jacket looked similar to this, in the video.

PS... Just wanted to add, from the quick peek in the video, that the skull looked on the smallish side. This is only a guess, but I'm thinking young female. JMHO, as always.

 

[sonz82]

Skull believed to be that of a male , believed to been there for less than 50 years

Human skull found in Bolton is likely that of a male, police say