UK UK - Damien Nettles, 16, Isle of Wight England, 2 Nov 1996

[dotr]

Hey all,

I'm a member of the Damien Nettles group over on Facebook and am a documentary film-maker. Been researching this case for quite some time now.

There is a hell of a lot more to this case than is included in the official timeline of events for that night, that you'll read online.

I think the general consensus, and also my personal opinion (from quite a lot of experience) is that Damien was not on drugs that night and in the CCTV footage. In the footage you can see that he's quite drunk, but not on drugs. Certainly not on LSD like someone mentioned here. That's not the behaviour of someone on LSD, further, and with the exception of marijuana, ordering and eating food is the last thing on your mind while under the influence of drugs. They are hunger suppressants. Alcohol on the other hand.....

Also, another point, there's too much evidence to indicate he went into the sea. It's generally accepted that he didn't go anywhere near the sea that night.

Finally the 5 individuals arrested in 2011 (it was actually 7), are different to those men in the chip shop. The men in the chip shop were all military.

Thanks everyone, nice to meet you all. Great community you have here.

Welcome to Ws. Mr_Black, thanks for the insight, delighted that you joined us here!

 

[doris5]

Mr. Black, what are your 2 cents on Chris, the best friend..? I know a lot of folks have noted his awkwardness in the documentary...


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[Mister_Black]

Mr. Black, what are your 2 cents on Chris, the best friend..? I know a lot of folks have noted his awkwardness in the documentary...

A few people have mentioned that they felt Chris Boon acted strangely in the documentary (The boy who disappeared - BBC iPlayer). While I think, yes, he was clearly very nervous and agitated (as was his brother in the same documentary), I don't personally think its for the reasons some suspect. Chris was aware that Damien had gotten into drugs, he mentioned it later on in the same documentary. I think he was nervous about making the link between that and those involved with the drug trade on the isle of wight (Which is where the documentary went down the road of, with its outcome)

No doubt Chris has heard the rumours like most on the island, but I think he didn't wanted to broadcast those rumours or his suspicions on national television. He still lives on the island after all.

Val (Damiens mother) has said she's very fond of Chris, and I don't think there is any suspicion there whatsoever. She has also mentioned that the demeanour of Chris in the Doc is not out of character for him

 

[0101ABA]

The mother of missing Isle of Wight teenager, Damien Nettles, has given her blessing to an event taking place in Cowes on the 20th anniversary of his disappearance.

Organised by Lynn Hammond, Islanders are invited to join others to walk the route Damien took on that fateful cold wintry evening on 2nd November 1996.

A volunteer, of similar build to Damien and wearing identical clothing, will follow the route Damien took to try to jog people’s memories.

https://onthewight.com/2016/09/28/d...alk-on-20th-anniversary-of-his-disappearance/

 

[Scottishem1]

I've been reading this case extensively for quite some months now,in all the cases I've read up upon this one really does have me stumped . We holidayed in the Isle of wight this summer and it was amazing... the scenery , the people all in all a brilliant location we will definitely return . I was shocked a few days after we got home to see the BBC documentary on this case which shows a darker side to the Island . My heart truly breaks for the Nettles family and I hope someone's concious gets the better of them soon . A few points I've picked up on was the time line was way off as Damien was spotted eating chips over a 2 hour period I'm going from memory but he was spotted huddled over the chips around midnight by the care worker which is over 2 hours later than the first mention of Damien eating chips . Durley to dissappear so suddenly and appear on no more CCTV surely a car must have been involved ? Unless Sunhill has no CCTV? surely he would have mentioned to Chris boon that he had intentions to go back into town? I fully believe people are still scared to speak out but surely if a group of people were involved or knew anything about a supposed murder someone by now would have spoken up ? I can't imagine the rag tag group of addicts supposedly involved would be capable of getting away with this for so long :/ I am so unsure about this case and have read literally everything avaliable and spend almost every free hour researching it . There was also a comment mentioned on a forum that Val Damiens mum stated that she didn't think Damien had ran away as he had the chance to do that the previous week and didn't I've always wondered what she meant by that. I really don't believe Damien was on drugs in the chip shop video it is not typically behaviour of someone under the influence of narcotics in my opinion. I have also seen various 'rumours' about what the police were getting up to outside the chip shop unsure of this could be a possibility in explaining that Damien photographed something he seen outside the chip shop as this would explain the police loosing CCTV footage they may have picked him up on either baring road or sun hill and taken his camera etc . I also read that the police questioned and park fined the care worker straight after Damien had been at his car maybe this would explain the 'they are watching us ' comment from Damien . Someone asked the police to provide the files on the night about the fine of the care worker but they said they were not kept . It certainly is a very unusal case . I have a lot of respect for the police but their silence on this case is deafening !


** all of the above is my own personal opinion and in no way any reflection on websleuths **

 

[Scottishem1]

I had been speaking to my fiance about this after we watched it and both agreed how shifty the Boon brothers looked , I've always thought if someone knew something they would have spoken up against others involved by now but then it struck me there's no stronger bond than brothers 😑😑. I kind of don't buy that they were only nervous because of the drug angle questioning they were bound to know that would be trawled over and he had no qualms discussing it on TV later with Damiens brother 😕. I also think Damiens mum would think his best friend would be the last person to lie to her about all this but people will cover their own backs . My opinion and speculation only 😆

 

[meanmaryjean]

https://onthewight.com/follow-damien-nettles-last-walk-20-years-after-his-disappearance/

Tomorrow being the 20th anniversary- there is a memorial/ awareness walk being held.

The article says there is a petition to get extra police funding for this case AND someone of similar build and in similar dress will walk the route to try to jog people's memories.
Sounds like a fair amount of work went into this event- wonderful!

 

[meanmaryjean]

https://onthewight.com/family-of-da...er-police-handling-of-missing-teenagers-case/

Family files complaint

 

[Scottishem1]

Quite rightly so , I hope they get the answers they deserve

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[ekardh]

It would be interesting to know on what grounds those eight people were arrested.

 

[Scottishem1]

I'm kinda getting the impression the family have a pretty good idea of what happened but no actual proof/evidence



:dunno: I'm going with Theory One !

http://whathapenedtodamiennettles.blogspot.no/2012/06/story-about-murder-with-two-possible.html?m=1

Hi I have tried to look at this but the blog seems locked ?

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[CrackerC119]

Here are my points from the documentary. Firstly, the friend Chris Boon seemed uncomfortable throughout the documentary. He witheld information about his and Damien's usage of drugs initially. You may think that's understandable, he may not want his and Damien's names tarnishing. However, he says that Damien headed for home around an hour before Damien was sighted in the takeaway shop. Is it really believable that Damien decided to turn around and head back in to town on his own on a cold, rainy night?

Damien's family have questioned the editing of the CCTV footage by police. Apparently, some of the footage has been spliced. Why would this be? Why would potentially valuable information be removed?

I also think that some other posibilities need to be explored. For example, the posibility that Damien left the island either by boat or the ferry the next day. A way to rule this out would have been to check CCTV from mainland ports and travel centres from the 3rd November 1996. I believe that this posibility would be unlikely, but would still be worth exploring.

Witnesses in the documentary say they saw a notorious man, often linked with drugs to be having a heated argument with Damien AFTER he left the takeaway. Some suggest that Damien may have been killed as a result of the argument escalating. The investigators in the documentary searched a nearby woodland, where it is rumoured that Damien is buried. They did not find any remains.

The police initially suggested that Damien had come to harm in the sea. Local harbour staff advised Damien's family that this would be unlikely, as Damien's body would most probably have been washed to shore.

Later in the documentary, the reporters tracked down and questioned a man, who was rumoured to keep relaying the phrase "no body, no crime". The man appeared startled by being approached by the reporter but what sticks out in my mind is that when asked if he would like to make a comment to Damien's mother he said that he's sorry...then he did what could be interpreted as a hesitation and later added "for her loss". Could this be a slip up?



I have done some research in to how narcotics affect a person. Some of the characteristics do seem match Damien's behaviour that evening, for example struggles with communication. However, other people online have suggested that narcotics suppress the appetite, yet according to an online source, Damien ate 2 bags of chips that evening.

Some online posters have speculated on whether the timing for the effects of a drug to take effect would tie in with the timeline of Damien's activity that night. There is actually a large gap in time betweem whem Damien's friend claims he parted company with him and the footage in the takeaway shop. Online research tells me that narcotics can take just 20 minutes for the effects to be noticable.

The suggested posibility of drugs being involved, despite Damien's family being confident that they weren't, is key to a theory that Damien was killed by a drug dealer for owing money for drugs. One source in the documentary, suggested that Damien was killed by accident over the cost of a small amount of cannabis, during a heated conflict. Would a drug dealer become so heated over a small amount of cannabis that they could accidentally kill someone? Canabis is known to cause paranoia and erratic behaviour, which would make sense if it were the case that the drug dealer used cannabis as well. Cannabis is also known to cause a heightened appetite - which would make sense as to why Damien allegedly had two servings of chips that evening.



So, what does everyone think? Despite hours of searching and numerous public appeals, the case has not yet reached a conclusion. It will be 21 years this November since Damien's family last saw him.

 

[dotr]

Here are my points from the documentary. Firstly, the friend Chris Boon seemed uncomfortable throughout the documentary. He witheld information about his and Damien's usage of drugs initially. You may think that's understandable, he may not want his and Damien's names tarnishing. However, he says that Damien headed for home around an hour before Damien was sighted in the takeaway shop. Is it really believable that Damien decided to turn around and head back in to town on his own on a cold, rainy night?

Damien's family have questioned the editing of the CCTV footage by police. Apparently, some of the footage has been spliced. Why would this be? Why would potentially valuable information be removed?

I also think that some other posibilities need to be explored. For example, the posibility that Damien left the island either by boat or the ferry the next day. A way to rule this out would have been to check CCTV from mainland ports and travel centres from the 3rd November 1996. I believe that this posibility would be unlikely, but would still be worth exploring.

Witnesses in the documentary say they saw a notorious man, often linked with drugs to be having a heated argument with Damien AFTER he left the takeaway. Some suggest that Damien may have been killed as a result of the argument escalating. The investigators in the documentary searched a nearby woodland, where it is rumoured that Damien is buried. They did not find any remains.

The police initially suggested that Damien had come to harm in the sea. Local harbour staff advised Damien's family that this would be unlikely, as Damien's body would most probably have been washed to shore.

Later in the documentary, the reporters tracked down and questioned a man, who was rumoured to keep relaying the phrase "no body, no crime". The man appeared startled by being approached by the reporter but what sticks out in my mind is that when asked if he would like to make a comment to Damien's mother he said that he's sorry...then he did what could be interpreted as a hesitation and later added "for her loss". Could this be a slip up?



I have done some research in to how narcotics affect a person. Some of the characteristics do seem match Damien's behaviour that evening, for example struggles with communication. However, other people online have suggested that narcotics suppress the appetite, yet according to an online source, Damien ate 2 bags of chips that evening.

Some online posters have speculated on whether the timing for the effects of a drug to take effect would tie in with the timeline of Damien's activity that night. There is actually a large gap in time betweem whem Damien's friend claims he parted company with him and the footage in the takeaway shop. Online research tells me that narcotics can take just 20 minutes for the effects to be noticable.

The suggested posibility of drugs being involved, despite Damien's family being confident that they weren't, is key to a theory that Damien was killed by a drug dealer for owing money for drugs. One source in the documentary, suggested that Damien was killed by accident over the cost of a small amount of cannabis, during a heated conflict. Would a drug dealer become so heated over a small amount of cannabis that they could accidentally kill someone? Canabis is known to cause paranoia and erratic behaviour, which would make sense if it were the case that the drug dealer used cannabis as well. Cannabis is also known to cause a heightened appetite - which would make sense as to why Damien allegedly had two servings of chips that evening.



So, what does everyone think? Despite hours of searching and numerous public appeals, the case has not yet reached a conclusion. It will be 21 years this November since Damien's family last saw him.

Welcome to Ws.CrackerC119, thanks for the well thought-out first post!
At this point, wondering what would be left if drugs were taken totally out of the equation, how/if theories would change?

 

[CrackerC119]

Welcome to Ws.CrackerC119, thanks for the well thought-out first post!
At this point, wondering what would be left if drugs were taken totally out of the equation, how/if theories would change?

Why thank you!!

Without the drug theories, there is the posibility of him being targeted and possibly harmed by a sex offender (the police did make an arrest on one suspect in relation to this, the suspect was not charged). I note from some of the resources on the BBC website that the park where Chris claims he last saw Damien walked through was said to be a hotspot for sex offenders, according to one of Damien's peers.

There were also suggestions from the police that Damien was drowned whilst swimming over to East Cowes to look for his sister (to the best of my knowledge), the police supposedly said this to a private investigator appointed by the Nettles family.

I can't help but wonder what Damien's headspace was like leading up to that night. He recently seperated from his girlfriend, who noticed he had began to change. I also note he recently had his hair shaved, which according to his family was out of character. Could something have been troubling him?

 

[dotr]

Wondering about the significance if any, concerning this comment. rbbm.
https://onthewight.com/intelligence-in-damien-nettles-case-taken-on-new-significance/
7th September, 2016

Intelligence taken on new significance
Following the release of an eight-part documentary series, Unsolved: The Boy Who Disappeared, information previously provided in the case has, the family say, taken on a new significance.

They’re appealing via the Damien Nettles Facebook Page for further information. Their message reads,

Years ago we were contacted on Facebook, (probably over 10 years ago.) We were told of a scenario where a young lad (at the time of Damien going missing, so 1996) was uncontrollably sobbing, saying he knew what happened or saw what happened.

If anyone has heard this same information please private message Valerie or Sarah on Facebook

 

[CrackerC119]

I think the person who is being referred to here is Lynn Hammond, a local community figure, who told the documentary makers that a young man had approached her, crying. He told her that Damien was killed by accident when being "taught a lesson" in a challet. Lynn's source apparently said Damien was killed by a punch to the head, which caused him to lose consciousness and he choked to death on his own vomit, according to his apparent theory.

I've also just noticed on the BBC website that Damien had a new girlfriend in Suffolk, which is many miles away. How did they meet? This is before the days of social media. I do wonder if there may be some light shed on to the case with the Suffolk link.

 

[dotr]

I think the person who is being referred to here is Lynn Hammond, a local community figure, who told the documentary makers that a young man had approached her, crying. He told her that Damien was killed by accident when being "taught a lesson" in a challet. Lynn's source apparently said Damien was killed by a punch to the head, which caused him to lose consciousness and he choked to death on his own vomit, according to his apparent theory.

I've also just noticed on the BBC website that Damien had a new girlfriend in Suffolk, which is many miles away. How did they meet? This is before the days of social media. I do wonder if there may be some light shed on to the case with the Suffolk link.

What do somewhat intoxicated young ( and not so young, or intoxicated ) guys do when seeing someone new, especially on a Saturday night? Imo, they try to see them one way or another.
Could Damien have somehow ended up in or near Suffolk?

Did anyone resent the new relationship?
imo, just speculation.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36865349

• 25 July 2016
  

  It was a Saturday, and Damien Nettles had arranged to go to a house party.
  
  Before he left the house he called his new girlfriend in Suffolk to tell her he was missing her. And just after 19:00 on 2 November 1996 he left the family home and headed out into Cowes.

 

[CrackerC119]

What do somewhat intoxicated young ( and not so young, or intoxicated ) guys do when seeing someone new, especially on a Saturday night? Imo, they try to see them one way or another.
Could Damien have somehow ended up in or near Suffolk?

Did anyone resent the new relationship?
imo, just speculation.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36865349

• 25 July 2016

A bus driver claims that someone of Damien's description boarded his bus at The Co-Op in Cowes and asked to go to Cowes (not a typo) at 23:52. Could this be some supposed intoxicated attempt to head towards Suffolk? All ferries to the island had stopped by then.

 

[Unscripted]

I’ve never bought into the notion that Damien went into the Solent of his own volition. He wasn’t viewed on any of the exterior Council cctv cameras along the High Street north of Sun Hill after 12:02am, and he would have been captured if he had taken the seawall/Esplanade route home. I think there might have been Council cameras at the British Legion and at the base of Market Hill, because apparently there were enough cameras to completely cover the High Street.

I know the cctv tapes were subsequently lost by LE, but Damien’s mother did have the opportunity to trawl through them and identify her son in the last known video, northbound on High Street, eating his chips just south of Sun Hill (which was on his preferred route home through the park). Previously, police investigators had identified and tracked a different male throughout that night via the security camera tapes.

moo from watching the BBC special.

 

[CrackerC119]

I find it difficult to believe he ever went in to the water. It is reported that he spent most of the evening looking for his sister, from pub to pub. He was heading toward the Harbour Lights when he was last sighted on CCTV. Yet, according to a key witness, the documentary's primes suspect would have potentially crossed paths with Damien.

However, despite this, I'm begining to wonder if Damien was being watched for a long while before this. The carer at the bus stop reported a boy, matching Damien's description saying "they're watching us". Could it be that the prime suspect watched Damien go from pub to pub, then as he made his way along high street, the suspect followed him from a distance, using the back roads and approached him at the junction of Sun Hill/High Street, when and where they would be less visible? Yet, one of the journalists walked along Sun Hill, off season, like when Damien disappeared and said it was eerily quiet. So quiet that she could hear residents' conversations inside their houses. So, if this theory is true, how could the people living on Sun Hill not have heard anything?

I'd want to do more research in to how accessible the sea edge was at that time, despite my doubts, just to rule out any mis-adventure.