Bolton inquest into remains of 34-year-old after five and a half years

James John Connell Hodgkiss, from Peel Park Crescent in Little Hulton, went missing on August 3 in 2016.

He was just 34.

His remains were discovered on January 24 in 2022, at a nature reserve in Aspinall Way in Horwich.

An inquest into his death took place at Bolton Coroners Court at which the family of Mr Hodgkiss paid tribute to him.

Mum, Christine Hodgkiss said: “He was lovely, He was just a lovely son and we loved him so much.

“We are devastated reliving this.”

Detective Inspector Lunt revealed that officers were called to the peat bog at 4.43pm after a worker found human remains.

The detective said the ‘precarious’ area was frequented by animals such as foxes and minks and these animals are ‘predators.’

He said there was no way to know how Mr Hodgkiss came by his death.

Mrs Hodgkiss reported her son as missing on August 5 as  she had not heard or seen him in a few days, which was unusual.

In 2022 landscaping experts ELMS Solutions were at the Red Moss nature reserve when a worker discovered human bones.

Coroner, Professor Dr Alan Walsh heard how Mr Hodgkiss regularly visited an address on Weston Street in Bolton, where his mum and dad often dropped him off.

Mr Hodgkiss has been taking heroin for some time before his tragic death.

On the night of his disappearance on August 3, the dad of two was last seen talking to his partner Jennie McDonagh at 2am outside of her home in Little Hulton.

The couple had been together for 15 years.

She said: “I opened the window to speak to him and his expression was blank, and he was paranoid.

“I believe he was under the influence of drugs.

“We did not have an argument, he just walked away silently.”

Coroner Dr Alan Walsh heard from archaeologist and anthropologist Kristina Lee and pathologist, Dr Patrick Lumb.

Mr Hodgkiss was formally identified by a dental surgeon.

Ms Lee revealed the top half of the remains were stained, suggesting Mr Hodgkiss was submerged in the water where some of his remains were found.

Due to there being no soft tissue residue to examine it was not possible to find any trauma which led to death.

Police recovered a pair of socks, a watch, and a single button near the remains, but only the watch was confirmed to belong to Mr Hodgkiss.

Dr Lumb said suggested hypothermia may have set in but gave the medical cause of death as 1A unascertained due to skeletal remains.

Concluding, Dr Walsh said: “It is difficult to say when Mr Hodgkiss died, due to no evidence, but I rely on when he was found.

“He was found on June 24 in 2022 and had been a missing person for five and a half years.

“He seemed to live a double life, he lived with his family and cared for his children.

“I have reached an open conclusion as we do not know how he came in that area and how he came to came to his death.”