Appeal to Identify 'Kew Bridge Man' 34 Years On

New image published of man discovered under railway bridge

Left - 'Kew Bridge Man'. Picture: Locate International. Right - Kew Railway Bridge. Picture: Colin McLaughlin

July 11, 2024

As part of continuing efforts to identify a man found dead under a bridge in Chiswick in 1990, a new image of his likeness has been released.

34 years ago, on 10 July 1990, the body was discovered hanging from the Kew Railway Bridge which spans the River Thames between Kew and Strand-on-the-Green. He is believed to have been about 25 years old.

Despite extensive investigations and appeals, the man’s identity remains unknown. Over the past three years, volunteer investigators with Locate International, a charity that looks into cold cases of missing and unidentified people, have been working to try and find out his name.

A new living depiction of the man, created by forensic artist Hew Morrison, is now being released to the public and is shown above.

Locate International is calling him Kew Bridge Man although it should be noticed that the bridge under which he was found is not the one that carries road traffic across the river to Kew Green.

He was white, 175cm (5’8”) tall, and of thin build. He had very short brown hair with a ponytail, facial stubble and blue eyes. He also had a mole on his lip and a mole on his scalp.

Subsequent newspaper articles indicated he had a pierced right ear and irregular teeth with a retained deciduous canine tooth. It was also reported his clothing smelt of engine oil.

He was wearing a green jumper with an eagle motif, worn inside out, a white T-shirt, blue jeans, black Dr Martens boots and a blue and black woolly hat.

Perhaps most notable is his distinctive haircut: a crew cut on the top and sides, but long hair at the back.

Investigators with Locate International are exploring a number of leads, but are keen to hear from the public.

1) Do you recognise the man from a garage or any other workshop in the late 1980s or early 1990s?
2) It is possible that the man was a part of the gay community in London in 1990: does he look familiar to you?
3) Have a look at his haircut: do you remember anyone who had their hair cut in this style?
4) Did you know anyone who matches this description, but lost contact with them around 1990, and never heard from them again?

Mark Greenhalgh, Locate International’s CEO, said, “It’s been 34 years since Kew Bridge Man was found, but we believe it is not too late to identify him. Someone out there must have known him, encountered him, worked with him, or seen him on the street. And someone may well have missed him.

“No clue is too small for our investigators, so if you think you know anything at all, please get in touch.”

This case is one of several unidentified deaths on the railways that Locate International are investigating. These include Mile End Man, who died in east London in 1975, and Sowerby Bridge Man, who died in Yorkshire in 2012.

If you have any information, contact Locate International by emailing appeals@locate.international, by calling 0300 102 1011 (in the UK) or by visiting this link.

Members of the public can participate in Locate International’s forum to discuss Kew Bridge Man – sign up here.