Man killed in 'most brutal way' at summer solstice event identified
A young man who was found dead at a historic site in the East Midlands has now been identified as Isaac Clare-Watts, after police confirmed a man had been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Police announced that the body of Isaac was discovered in Stanton Lees, Derbyshire, on Monday (22 June) afternoon. Cops made the tragic discovery one day after a summer solstice event had taken place at the Nine Ladies Stone Circle, which is a Bronze Age monument located in the East Midlands.
A murder investigation has been launched in wake of the 26-year-old's death, while police have urged members of the public who attended the celebrations to get in touch.
Tributes have been flooding in for Isaac, who previously worked as a joiner. It is understood that he had recently returned to the UK after heading off around the globe to travel.
Advert
A 41-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the incident and currently remains in custody.
In a statement shared on Wednesday (24 June) afternoon, Derbyshire Police said: "We were called to reports of a man’s body being found at Nine Ladies Stone Circle in Stanton Lees at 1.38pm on Monday 22 June.
"Isaac Clare-Watts, from Nottingham, was pronounced dead at the scene. The 26-year-old’s family have now released this image of him and our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time.
"We remain keen to hear from anyone who was at the site over the weekend, as well as anyone with video footage from the summer solstice event, and dashcam footage of vehicles arriving and leaving over the weekend.
"A Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP) has been set up where members of the public can send us information directly." You can check the MIPP out here.
Isaac had been employed as a joiner by building firm Frank Goulding Ltd up until late last year, according to Metro, before he left the company to head off on an adventure around the world.
In a statement paying tribute to the 'popular' member of their team, Frank Goulding Ltd said: "Isaac joined us as a young man in 2016 to pursue a career in construction.
"He successfully completed his joinery apprenticeship and developed into a very skilled joiner. Isaac was a very popular member of our team and decided last year he wanted to take some time and go and see the world, in particular spending some time in Thailand to develop his Muay Thai skills, which was a passion of his.
"We are all very saddened to hear the tragic news and our prayers and sympathy go to his family."
The Nine Ladies Stone Circle is a 4,000-year-old monument that is believed to depict nine ladies who were turned to stone as a penalty for dancing on a Sunday, according to the charity English Heritage.
Detective Inspector Tony Owen from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), who is leading the investigation, said 'a lot of people' were in the area over the weekend attending a summer solstice event last Sunday (21 June). He urged those who joined in the celebrations to 'please speak to officers as soon as they can'.
"A young man’s life has been taken in the most brutal way so it is vital that myself and the team build up a clear picture of the exact circumstances surrounding his death," Det Insp Owen said.
"This is why we urgently need to speak to everyone who was at the scene over the weekend.
"You may have only been there briefly and think you can’t help but you could hold the key piece of information we need to understand what has happened and help us to get justice for this young man’s family.
"So I would ask, please, that if you attended the event, you contact us urgently so we can build up a picture of the event itself and what has led to this man’s death.
"I also really urge anyone who captured video footage from the event over the weekend to please come forward. You could play a key role in helping us with this murder investigation."
Olivia Burke