Key Points:
- Identity of crash victim solved after a decade of mystery.
- Bryan Alwyn Woolis, identified as the victim, was killed in January 2015 in Walthamstow, east London.
- Investigators from Locate International spent years working to identify him after his death.
- The man had few belongings, with only a few contacts in his phone.
- Locate International launched an appeal in 2022, which led to a breakthrough after a press article in Sheffield.
- Nik Dodsworth, from South Yorkshire Police, traced Woolis’ family and confirmed his identity.
- Woolis had a daughter, and the family had been unaware of his tragic fate for years.
- Investigation led by Yvonne Naish of Locate International brought closure to Woolis’ family.
In January 2015, a man was killed in a tragic accident while crossing the road near the Bell pub in Walthamstow, Waltham Forest. Despite an investigation and the driver’s prosecution, the identity of the victim remained a mystery for nearly a decade. This long-standing case, which perplexed authorities and the public alike, was finally solved, thanks to the efforts of Locate International, a volunteer-run organisation dedicated to solving missing persons and unidentified victim cases.
How was the identity of the victim eventually uncovered?
The victim, whose name had initially been speculated to be ‘Brian Wallace’ due to eyewitness accounts, was finally identified as Bryan Alwyn Woolis after a breakthrough in 2022. For years, authorities had pieced together fragments of information, with very little to go on. Woolis, who had a few personal belongings and a phone with only a handful of contacts, had left behind no clear trail for investigators. However, in 2022, Locate International launched an investigation targeting northern cities, following a tip-off that led them to Sheffield.
What led to the breakthrough in identifying Bryan Woolis?
The turning point in this case occurred when Nik Dodsworth, an inspector from South Yorkshire Police, came across a press article in the Sheffield Star. This article prompted him to investigate further, which led him to find a partial DNA match and track down Bryan Woolis’ family. The breakthrough came when Dodsworth found an obituary for Alwyn Woolis, Bryan’s father, who had passed away in 2016. The obituary mentioned Bryan Woolis’ daughter, and after some further inquiries, he was able to confirm the identity of the deceased man as Bryan Alwyn Woolis.
How did Bryan Woolis’ family react to the identification?
For Bryan’s family, the discovery of his identity brought long-awaited closure. They had spent years living with the uncertainty of what had happened to him. The news of his tragic death came as a shock, as many in the family, including his daughter, had been unaware of his fate. Yvonne Naish, who led the investigation for Locate International, expressed relief in being able to inform the family and provide them with some peace of mind after years of not knowing.
Who was Bryan Alwyn Woolis, and what do we know about his life?
Bryan Alwyn Woolis, whose identity remained a mystery for so long, was a man with few connections but was known to have worked as a cash-in-hand builder. He had a northern accent, and it was suggested he had a sister in the north of London. Though very little was known about his personal life, it is believed he had a close relationship with someone named Sylvia, who worked in country and western venues in the Nottingham area. Unfortunately, it is unclear if Bryan had any children or a partner at the time of his death.
Why did it take so long to identify Bryan Woolis?
The case of Bryan Woolis was particularly challenging due to the lack of identifying features and the minimal personal items found at the scene. Despite the police being able to trace his address and living circumstances, the victim’s identity remained elusive for several years. His name had been incorrectly assumed to be ‘Brian Wallace’, and with little family contact or immediate leads, the case eventually went cold.
However, thanks to the dedication of Locate International, a breakthrough was made when the organisation targeted regions in the north of the UK, including Sheffield, where the connection to Bryan’s family was finally established.
How did the investigation team feel about solving the case?
Yvonne Naish, the lead investigator for Locate International, expressed satisfaction in bringing closure to Bryan’s family. She noted that the team had spent a considerable amount of time thinking about the case and piecing together the puzzle. Despite the difficulty of the case, Naish and her team were driven by the desire to provide the Woolis family with the answers they had been seeking for nearly a decade.
This tragic mystery, now resolved, brings a sense of peace to the family and serves as a testament to the work of Locate International in solving some of the most challenging and unresolved cases.
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