The five-year inquiry ‘uncovered a dark world of modern slavery and exploitation’ with numerous twists and turns for cops.
Tonight (April 8), Channel 4’s 24 Hours in Police Custody will air an investigation by Cambridgeshire Police into a ‘no body murder’.
The no body murder’ episode focuses on the case of Ricardas Puisys, who was last seen in September 2015 before disappearing without a trace from his home in Wisbech.
Detectives from the Major Crime Unit discovered that Ricardas, who was 35 at the time he went missing, may have been the subject of a violent assault in the hours leading up to his disappearance, and the main line of inquiry is that he was killed.
The five-year investigation began with essential searches to find Ricardas’s body, but the case took an unexpected turn, giving the investigators hope that he was still alive.
Superintendent Adam Gallop, who oversaw the murder investigation, stated, “While I always hoped we would find Ricardas alive, the evidence led us to believe it was highly unlikely.” Given that no one had seen or heard from him, our searches centred on finding his body and those guilty for his death.
He had simply vanished, and no one ever saw him again.”
Three years into the investigation, detectives discovered a Facebook page created by someone claiming to be Ricardas. The team was then confronted with the onerous process of identifying the account’s owner and, eventually, finding Ricardas, who may still be alive.
Throughout the investigation, the crew learns unsettling details about the dark and dangerous realm of contemporary slavery in Cambridgeshire.
Superintendent Gallop remarked, This was one of the most bizarre instances I’ve ever handled. We had substantial evidence that Ricardas was murdered, and there was no sign of him after September 2015.
The episode initially aired in 2021.
On Monday, April 8, at 10 p.m., Channel 4 will air 24 Hours in Police Custody.
