Coroner orders new tests in Elan Valley body mystery

Fresh forensic tests have been ordered in an attempt to identify a man whose body was found in an Elan Valley reservoir two years ago.

The inquest into the death heard that a liver sample taken during the investigation had never been tested, with coroner Patricia Morgan requesting further analysis before reaching a conclusion.

The man’s remains were discovered by a dog walker at Claerwen Reservoir, near Rhayader, in October 2024. He was wearing an open-water swimming wetsuit and could have been in the water for more than three months.

Despite extensive police enquiries, including an international appeal and facial reconstruction work, his identity and the circumstances of his death remain unknown.

Evidence presented to the inquest also raised questions about the man’s ethnicity. Initial police assessments suggested he was of white European descent, but forensic orthodontist Dr Sally Andrew said her examination of his teeth and jaw indicated he may have been of a different ethnic background.

The coroner wants the outstanding liver sample examined to establish whether it could provide further information, including whether the man died before or after entering the water.

Detective Inspector Anthea Ponting told the hearing that commercial genealogy websites had been considered during the investigation but were not pursued because of concerns about the resources required to examine potentially large numbers of results.

Police had instead hoped that facial recognition and reconstruction techniques would generate new information and help identify the man.

Investigators also examined a tag attached to the wetsuit, where markings appeared potentially to resemble a name. However, scientific support officers were unable to enhance the marks sufficiently.

Police initially estimated the man was aged 30 to 60, around 6ft tall and weighed 202–220lbs.

The inquest, which began at Pontypridd Coroner's Court last week, has been adjourned while the liver sample is tested.