The murder of a man found dead in his bathtub remains a mystery, with the killer still at large.
Nigel Bostock’s body was discovered in his bungalow on Abrams Fold in Banks, West Lancashire, five days before Christmas in 1986. The 31-year-old businessman was found wearing only a t-shirt, slumped over the edge of the bathtub, with his body partially submerged in water.
He had been brutally murdered, with an electric cable used to strangle him and a kitchen knife believed to have been used to inflict six stab wounds to his chest. In the aftermath of the gruesome discovery, a massive investigation was launched, with over 50 detectives deployed to the case and a regional crime squad alerted.
A number of valuable items were stolen from the property, including a briefcase containing £700, a rare Bulova Accutron “Spaceview” watch, and two gold rings, one of which bore the inscription “N”. On the evening of his death, Nigel had hosted a Christmas party, attended by guests known to him.
The evidence suggested that Nigel was strangled in his bedroom before being moved to the bathroom, raising the possibility that there was more than one perpetrator. However, despite an extensive investigation, which included interviewing over 5,000 people and pursuing more than 2,000 lines of enquiry, the case remains unsolved 38 years later, , with no signs of a violent struggle or forced entry, the ECHO reports.
The owner of a Wesley Street shoe store, Wider Fitting Shoe Specialists, Mr Bostock lived alone in a semi-detached bungalow and was known to visit gay clubs in the northwest. At least three people who have never been traced by police were believed to have been at his Christmas party on the night he died. Police found cannabis in the lounge, as well as several empty beer cans and cigarette butts in ashtrays.
Reward poster from the murder of Nigel Bostock
Mr Bostock had been out for lunch with his parents and he was last seen leaving his shop at around 4pm before driving his red Ford Fiesta to see a heating engineer for an appointment at around 5.20pm. Detectives scoured gay clubs in Southport, Liverpool, Preston, Blackpool and Bolton, interviewing thousands within the gay community and Mr Bostock’s parents offered a substantial reward for any information leading to justice.
Neighbours reported noises and raised voices, but nobody saw anyone leaving or arriving that evening. The man who launched the hunt for the killer, Detective Superintendent John Boyd, said at the time that he believed it was only a matter of time before the mystery was solved.
He said: “Someone is going to tell us about it one day, you don’t forget something like this or put it out of your mind. I frequently search my mind, but we are all equally certain there was nothing we could have done. Mr Bostock was a familiar face at gay clubs throughout the northwest, but the investigation has eliminated all of his friends.
“The scene didn’t appear baffling when we arrived and we thought it would soon come to a satisfactory conclusion. But, as the inquiry progressed, several puzzles emerged.”
Mr Boyd added: “I am quite sure it was a sexual act that went horribly wrong. But there was no need for Nigel to be stabbed and strangled and we don’t know why there was a small amount of water in the bath.”
The body was identified by Nigel’s nephew, Colin Bleasdale and a verdict of unlawful killing was recorded for Mr Bostock in July 1987. Then, eight years later, a gruesome and chilling theory came to light. It was suspected that Nigel may have been the victim of a Merseyside-based group of killers who were making snuff videos that showed real-life torture and murder.
But, despite one member of the gang confessing that his job was to find vulnerable men in towns including Southport and coerce them back to a flat, no proof that Nigel was deliberately targeted ever surfaced. In 2003, detectives reopened the case in the hope that new DNA testing techniques would reveal evidence hidden in clothes and bed sheets collected at the scene. One year later, a BBC Crimewatch appeal gave police several new leads on the case.
Abrams Fold in Banks where Nigel Bostock used to live
Lancashire Police revealed on TV that 12 months before the Crimewatch appeal the force received a mystery letter that may lead them to the killer. Det Supt Mike Turner said: “We have had the letter for some time now and, thanks to information uncovered during the forensic review, we now have reason to believe that it could be significant.”
Following the reconstruction, officers were sifting through new information from 30 callers, some of which provided new names that had not previously been investigated. As recently as March 2005, a man was arrested after he failed to volunteer a DNA sample being taken as part of the investigation into the death.
Saratoga Antiques shop owners Rita Seddon and Sylvia Shuker worked opposite Nigel and his shoe business for years. Rita said: “We remember well when Nigel had his shoe shop over the road. He was a really nice guy, very pleasant to talk to and always happy. It was always Nigel you could turn to if you needed anything. It was such a shock, and, of course, at the time so unheard of.”
Sylvia said: “Nigel was so approachable, dependable and probably the least likely person to upset anybody. I recall that Saturday morning when the whole of the street was filled with police asking questions and talking to people. It was not an everyday thing back then. Today, it seems to be the norm. Nigel really was a lovely guy.”
A Lancashire Police spokesperson said: “No unsolved murder or serious sexual assault is ever closed, and we remain committed to delivering closure and support for the victims and their families as well as reassuring our communities, regardless of the passage of time.”
Subscribe to our daily newsletter LANCS LIVE NEWS and get all the biggest stories from across Lancashire direct to your inbox