Police have discovered human remains near Cribbs Causeway, just outside of Bristol, which they believe belong to missing 73-year-old DJ Derek—Derek Serpell-Morris. The body was found at 4.28 pm on Thursday by a member of the public, having severely decomposed.
Det Ch Insp Matthew Iddon issued a statement saying, “Earlier today we spoke with the family of Derek Serpell-Morris to inform them of this latest development. While we’re not yet in a position to confirm the remains are of Derek, we strongly believe this to be the case due to personal items found at the scene. This is a very distressing time for Derek’s family who’ve been carrying out an exhaustive campaign to locate him and raise awareness of his disappearance and our thoughts are very much with them.”
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Morris was a hugely loved character in Bristol for obvious reasons. His reliable blend of reggae, ska, and soul had been filling the city’s venues, and major festivals for a number of years. Over this time he won the support of his home-town, largely in the area of St Pauls, as well as finding fans in the shape of Massive Attack and Glastonbury Festival.
He was first reported missing in July of last year by his niece Jennifer.