The human remains were found during a murder investigation
Olivier Vergnault Senior Reporter
15:19, 25 Jul 2025Updated 16:42, 25 Jul 2025
Police searching the woods near Sticker, near St Austell for human remains(Image: Olivier Vergnault / Cornwall Live)
A number of bodies have been discovered in woodland in the West Country as part of an ongoing murder investigation, Police Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez has said. It is not yet clear exactly how many bodies have been found.
The crime commissioner has confirmed that multiple bodies have been found in the woodlands where police are investigating the alleged murder of a man who vanished.
As reported by CornwallLive, officers from all over the country have been brought in to help Devon and Cornwall Police scour the woods outside the Cornish village of Sticker.
CornwallLive had been told by a reliable source that the investigation – which also involves private security staff and a drone ban – now involves a number of bodies. However, when we asked the force about this, Detective Superintendent Jon Bancroft, from the team investigating since the body of missing man Daniel Coleman, 43, was found there, refused to answer.
Now, Cornwall’s police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez told a Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Panel today (Friday, July 25) that the force, along special units from the National Crime Agency and officers from around the UK, have been searching for the remains of multiple people. The site is Paramoor Woods, a small woodland area just off the A390 between St Austell and Truro, where searches have been ongoing for three weeks.
When CornwallLive visited the site at the beginning of the week, an unmarked white forensic van along with a police riot van full of kit were parked in a layby near the entrance to a property in Lower Sticker. Parked in the entrance were a marked forensic van from Devon and Cornwall Police as well as a marked pick-up 4×4-type vehicle.
A small blue and white marquee was also in situ along with a marquee with camping chairs for officers to be able to shelter out of the rain when needing a break or cup of tea. Five yellow bin bags full of what looks like forensic overalls could be seen by the CSI tent.
A portable loo was also in place while more police vehicles were parked farther down the woodland country lane. Police officers from West Mercia and Staffordshire Police forces were guarding the scene along with a private security guard.
Devon and Cortnwall Police are continuing to scour the woods (week 3 of their investigation) near Lower Sticker, Hewas Water, St Austell, as part of their murder investigation into the death of Daniel Coleman, whose remains were discovered in the woods(Image: Olivier Vergnault / Cornwall Live)
On the other side of the road, a large area closed with red police tape could also be seen with officers probing the ground. When asked about the significance of the red tape, one of the officers from Staffordshire Police told us it was just as part of the officers’ “training”.
Red police tape at crime scenes typically indicates a dangerous or high-risk area and tells people that entry is prohibited and that the scene needs to be preserved. At the time, a spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police would not specify whether officers were dealing with more than one body.
DS Bancroft said it was an “extremely complex and unique investigation with experts working methodically across a large and challenging area of woodland”, adding that their “enquiries are progressing with diligence and a significant police presence is expected to remain at the scene into the coming weeks”.
The search of the woodland area outside Sticker followed the arrest of one man in connection with the alleged murder of Mr Coleman, from St Austell, who had been reported missing since June 1. He is alleged to have been killed between June 2 and July 7.
Today, Ms Hernandez told the panel that the woodland search was so big and necessitated so many officers because “we’ve found dead bodies”. It comes as rumours had been swirling around the village that several people may have been buried in the woods.
Devon and Cortnwall Police are continuing to scour the woods (week 3 of their investigation) near Lower Sticker, Hewas Water, St Austell, as part of their murder investigation into the death of Daniel Coleman, whose remains were discovered in the woods(Image: Olivier Vergnault / Cornwall Live)
When asked about how the investigation into the Sticker murder is progressing by Cornwall Councillor Julian German quizzed Ms Hernandez, saying: “Since your written update, the force has requested mutual aid and it’s been granted. Before mutual aid was granted the whole of the front line of the force was reorganised to cope with the pressure it is experiencing primarily due to incidents in Cornwall.
“So would you like to update the panel on that, why the mutual aid was requested and granted and what’s the ongoing situation? Thank you.”
Ms Hernandez replied: “Some of the elements of that operation I can’t speak about but some of the things are very obvious. As you know there is a large crime scene that has been identified in Cornwall that is requiring a lot of effort to even scene guard the area.
“The level of expertise, some of the mutual aid we’ve brought in, is expertise in specific types of investigations that we didn’t have. The National Crime Agency is supporting the organisation at the moment.
“I want to thank all the other forces that are coming in at a very busy time for themselves to offer mutual aid. It’s largely investigative mutual aid that we’ve brought in. Until some of those elements have been established of exactly what we’re dealing with there, it will be made public at that time.
“I know there’s been some information in the media. We’ve got a huge forensic tent down there. Lots of forensics officers, obviously we’ve found dead bodies in that wood. We’re just trying to establish how many there may be at this point in time and whether we are aware of who they are or what might have happened to them. So we also don’t know how long they may have been there, some of them.”
James Desborough, 39, of Old Oak Woods in Lower Sticker, has been charged with the murder of Mr Coleman, from St Austell. Desborough has since appeared before Bodmin Magistrates’ Court and was remanded in custody. He is due to appear before Truro Crown Court on August 8.