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Police find body in search for man who went missing three years ago

Police ‘strongly believe’ the body found in woodland is that of Chris May.

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Chris May has been missing for three years (Family handout/Essex Police/PA)

Detectives investigating the disappearance of a man who went missing three years ago have found a body.

A search was launched in 2015 when 28-year-old Chris May’s abandoned car was found in Fairstead, 11 miles north-east of Chelmsford, Essex.

A year later Essex Police said the search was a murder investigation and that Mr May was not thought to be alive.

Just under a fortnight before the third anniversary of his disappearance, officers said a body had been found in woodland at Faulkbourne, near Fairstead.

The force received a call from a member of the public on May 13 this year, the body was forensically recovered and a post-mortem examination conducted the following day was inconclusive.

DCI Stephen Jennings said: “I strongly believe the body which has been found is Chris May, 28, from Kelvedon.

“Inquiries are now being conducted to establish how he died.”

He said family of Mr May were being supported by a specialist family liaison officer.

“The priority for me now is to seek answers for his family and for the coroner to piece together his very last moments,” he said.

“This is an extremely difficult time for Chris’ family who have asked to be given the space to grieve for him and come to terms with his body being found without intrusion.”

Essex Police previously said Mr May had been “actively dealing drugs” and it was thought that “this involvement with drugs and him trying to extend his dealing… led to his death”.

Mr May had been using drugs and was known to be dealing ecstasy, cocaine and mephedrone, the force said in 2017.

Anyone who has information about Mr May’s last movements in May 2015 is asked to contact Essex Police’s North Major Investigation Team on 101.

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