The mystery of the unidentified man who was knocked down and killed while walking London nine years ago continues to baffle people for one specific reason.
In this day and age, you'd think it was nearly impossible for someone to vanish without a trace, or for a deceased body to be recovered and have no friends or family come forward to claim them.
And yet, despite our hyper-connected society, people still seemingly disappear into thin air, and cold cases such as the Wembley Point woman, involving unidentified bodies, remain open for decades.
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One of the more bizarre cases of an unidentified person is the story of a man who was hit and killed while walking in an area of Greater London.
Previously thought to be named Brian Wallace, the man was walking near Walthamstow when he was knocked over and killed.
Authorities have since been unable to identify him, and no close friends or relatives have come forward.
However, unlike over cases of unidentified bodies, the existence of various photographs of the man and a potential first and last name set his story aside from all others - with Locate International CEO and founder Dave Grimstead calling the man's case is like 'nothing else in history'.
What do we know about 'Brian Wallace'?
On 22 January 2015, a man was hit and killed while walking near the Bell Pub in Walthamstow, London.
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He had no ID on him at the time, the only contact in his mobile phone was the number for a builder, and no one has come forward to report him missing in the nine years since.
It's believed the man had connections to the north of England, perhaps Sheffield, lived close to where he was killed, was a regular at the William the Fourth pub, and may have been named Brian Wallace.
Missing and unidentified persons charity Locate International issued a major public appeal on the nine year anniversary of his death, revealing that volunteers had been looking into 400 different individuals named Brian Wallace, but were unable to connect the man to a name.
Speaking about the peculiar nature of the case, Grimstead said in a press release that it was 'extraordinary' that volunteers hadn't been able to find his identity.
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"The fact that we possess photographs of the man and potential first and second names makes this investigation unlike any other in our history, but we now need to look beyond these names," he added.
"He deserves to be remembered and properly laid to rest, and we will not stop searching until we achieve that.”
What to look for to find 'Brian Wallace'?
Locate International has invited the public to reach out if they knew anyone over the years who fit Brian Wallace's description that they may have lost touch with. They also added that submissions can remain anonymous.
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The man is most likely from North England, and signs to look out for that may point to him are:
- a man born between 1945-1955 who may have become unaccounted for, or estranged from his family
- a man you have lost touch with who matches the description
- a man now in his late sixties/seventies
- a man from the North of England who may have relocated to London for any reason
- a man possibly with a background in the building trade
For more information on the case, including how to contact the team with a potential lead, please click here.
Topics: Community
Brenna Cooper