12-30-2008 United Kingdom:A man who police believe was murdered - even though they have not found a body - was a registered sex offender, officers have confirmed.
Blood found at a house on 21 December on Stockbridge Road, Padiham, matched that of Alan Street, 26, although his body has not yet been discovered.
Keiran Davison, 20, of Stockbridge Road, has been charged with his murder.
Police are searching for Alan Palmer, 43, and Peter Leonard, 51, who they say "could be anywhere in the country".
Lancashire police confirmed that Mr Street was a registered sex offender, but were not releasing further details.
Det Supt Neil Hunter, of Lancashire police, said: "We need to speak to both Mr Leonard and Mr Palmer in relation to this incident as a matter of urgency.
"I would urge them both or anybody who knows of their whereabouts or has been contacted by them or been in their company recently to contact police immediately. I do believe that the two men may be together.
"I would like to make people aware that Mr Palmer is a long distance lorry driver and has strong connections in Padiham and Oswaldtwistle, but due to his employment I cannot rule out that he and Mr Leonard may well have travelled out of the county and could be anywhere in the country."
Police also want to trace Mr Palmer's car, a blue five-door Mitsubishi Colt saloon, registration PE58 OJY.
Mr Leonard is white, about 5ft 8ins tall, of medium build with blue eyes and light brown hair, cut very short.
Accused remanded
He has a two-inch scar on his nose and the words "LOVE" and "HEIDI" tattooed on his hands.
Mr Palmer is white, 5ft 11ins, of medium build, with receding dark brown hair. He has brown eyes and several tattoos on his left arm, including a snake head, a bull, an eagle and a swallow. On his right arm he has tattoos of a snake and a skull, as well as the words "MAM" and "LUCKY".
Mr Street is described as being of medium build, about 5ft 11ins tall with blue eyes and light, straight brown hair, which was cut short. He had a local accent.
Police know he went from Burnley to Oswaldtwistle on 19 December and are appealing for anyone who saw him to contact them.
Mr Davison has been remanded in custody to appear at Preston Crown Court on 18 March. ..News Source.. by BBC
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UK- 'Suspects On The Run With A Body'
1-5-2009 United Kingdom:
Detectives investigating the murder of a sex offender in Lancashire believe his attackers may be on the run with his body.
Blood and DNA found in a house near Burnley in December have convinced police that Alan Street, a convicted rapist, was beaten to death.
Officers were called to an address at Stockbridge Road, Padiham, after blood-stained clothing was discovered.
They believe the attackers may have taken the body with them and are currently on the run.
Long-distance lorry driver Alan Palmer, 43, and Peter Leonard, 51, have not been seen since December 20 - police think they may be together.
Detective Superintendent Neil Hunter said: "I would urge Mr Leonard and Mr Palmer, or anybody who knows of their whereabouts or has been contacted by them or been in their company recently, to contact police immediately. We need to speak to them as a matter of urgency.
"Due to Mr Palmer's employment, I cannot rule out that he and Mr Leonard may well be anywhere in the country."
Police would not comment on Street’s criminal history, but Sky News has learned he has a conviction for rape.
Palmer has several tattoos on his left arm of a snake head, bull, eagle and swallow.
On his right arm he has a snake and skull with two flower designs featuring the words 'Mam' and 'swallow'.
Leonard has a two-inch scar on his nose and the words 'love' and 'Heidi' tattooed on his hands. ..News Source.. by Mike McCarthy, North of England correspondent
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UK- Body Found After Rapist Vanishes
1-19-2009 United Kingdom:
Detectives investigating the murder of a convicted rapist have found a body in Lancashire.
Blood and DNA discovered in a house near Burnley in December have convinced police that sex offender Alan Street was beaten to death.
Underwater search specialists discovered the corpse in a culvert after they were alerted by Environment Agency contractors.
Detective Superintendent Neil Hunter, who is leading the murder investigation, said: "As a result of a call made to police, the underwater search team was brought in.
"They entered the culvert and located the body before successfully recovering it. It has now been taken to Blackburn mortuary where identification and post mortem will take place."
Police say it’s too early to tell whether the body is Alan Street, who they say was subjected to a "sustained and prolonged attack" at the house in Stockbridge Road, Padiham.
One man has already been charged with Street's murder while detectives wish to speak to two other suspects in connection with the death of the 26-year-old.
Alan Palmer, 43, who lived at the scene of the attack in Stockbridge Road, and Peter Leonard, 51, have not been seen since Street went missing.
Palmer has several tattoos on his left arm of a snake head, bull, eagle and swallow.
On his right arm he has a snake and skull with two flower designs featuring the words 'Mam' and 'swallow'.
Leonard has a two-inch scar on his nose and the words 'love' and 'Heidi' tattooed on his hands.
Early in January detectives said Palmer and Leonard were believed to be on the run with Street's body.
Police said Street’s family have been told of the latest developments.
A post mortem examination is due to be carried out. ..News Source.. by Tessa Chapman, Sky News
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UK- Fears of vigilante killing after missing rapist's body is found in underground drain
1-20-2009 United Kingdom:
Detectives investigating the murder of a convicted rapist today confirmed his body was found in an underground drain.
Alan Street is thought to have been killed by a vigilante mob at a house in Padiham, Lancashire, last month after police found blood matching his DNA.
Police believe a 'sustained and prolonged attack' took place at the property in Stockbridge Road in the early hours of December 21.
Street, 26, from Oswaldtwistle, was convicted of rape in 1999.
He was jailed and placed on the sex offender register but repeatedly ignored court orders by drifting between addresses.
It is believed his killers discovered his past when Street turned up in Padiham.
Lancashire police today confirmed a body recovered from a culvert in Accrington was Street.
Contractors working for the Environment Agency alerted police yesterday after finding the body during a routine CCTV inspection of Woodnook Water, Mount Street.
Street's body was recovered by underwater search teams and a post mortem examination took place late last night.
Police said further tests were needed to establish the exact cause of death but confirmed Street did not die of natural causes or accidental injuries.
Kieran Davison, 20, of Stockbridge Road, and Ian Palmer, 45, of Whitegate Close, both Padiham, have been charged with murder.
Detectives are still trying to trace two men, Alan Palmer, 43, and Peter Leonard, 51, in connection with Street's death.
It is believed both men may have left the county as Mr Palmer is a long-distance lorry driver.
Detective Superintendent Neil Hunter, of Lancashire Police, who is leading the investigation said: 'I still want to question Palmer and Leonard.
'We are as committed as ever to finding them.'
Mr Palmer is white, 5ft 11ins, of medium build, with receding/skinhead dark brown hair.
He has brown eyes and several tattoos on his left arm of a snake head, bull, eagle and swallow.
On his right arm he has a snake and skull, and two flower designs with 'MAM' and 'LUCKY' with a swallow.
Mr Leonard is white, around 5ft 8ins, of medium build, with blue eyes and light brown hair, which is cropped very short.
He has a two-inch injury scar on his nose and 'LOVE' tattooed on the knuckles of his left hand with 'HEIDI' on the back of his left hand.
Anyone with any information is asked to call Burnley police on 01282 425001 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. ..News Source.. by Daily Mail Reporter
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Three men deny murder of rapist
5-22-2009 United Kingdom:
Three men have denied murdering a convicted rapist whose body was discovered in a drain.
Alan Street, 26, is believed to have suffered a "sustained and prolonged attack" at a house in Padiham, Lancashire in December last year.
His body was discovered in a culvert in Accrington in January.
Kieren Davison, 20, Ian Palmer, 45, also of Padiham, and Peter Leonard, 51, of Trinity Street, Oswaldtwistle, denied murder at Preston Crown Court.
A fourth man also accused of murdering Mr Street, Allan Palmer, 44, of Stockbridge Road, Padiham, has not yet entered his plea.
Mr Street, 26, from Oswaldtwistle, was convicted of rape in 1999.
The murder trial is scheduled to begin on September 14 and is expected to last up to four weeks.
All four murder accused were remanded in custody.
Four men and one woman were also accused of assisting an offender.
Sean Jackson, 37, from Accrington, Paul Dougill, 39, from Bolton, Michael Helm, 39, from Accrington, and Keith Birtwell, 29, also from Accrington, will all enter pleas on June 26.
A separate trial will be held for those four men and has been provisionally set for October 19.
Nicola Street, 35, from Accrington, pleaded guilty to assisting an offender. ..Source.. by BBC
