More human remains have been found in two locations as part of a murder investigation that started when a man’s torso was discovered in a nature reserve in Greater Manchester, police said.
Detectives believe the torso, found in Salford, belongs to a man in his 60s and they have informed his family. Formal identification of the remains has not yet taken place but should be completed by next week, Greater Manchester police (GMP) said.
At a news conference on Sunday, officers said the victim was believed to have known and lived with two men who remain in extended custody for further questioning after being arrested on suspicion of murder.
Det Supt Lewis Hughes said police were looking at four crime scenes in Salford and the Greater Manchester area: Worsley Road in Winton, Blackleach Reservoir and Linnyshaw Colliery Wood in Salford, and Mitchell Street in Bury.
The latest human remains were discovered by police on Sunday at Blackleach Reservoir and Linnyshaw Colliery Wood.
Hughes said officers had already identified the two scenes and were en route to the wood when a member of the public phoned the force to report they had found a package.
He added: “We are very confident it is the same victim.”
Hughes said policewere also searching a warehouse in Bury where “items were stored after this incident without the knowledge of occupants of that warehouse”, and a house in Winton where the victim “was believed to have lived with the two men in custody”.
The first remains – comprising the bottom of the back, buttocks and thigh – were found in clear plastic by a passerby at Kersal Dale Wetlands in Salford on 4 April.
The victim is believed to have died in late March.
Earlier on Sunday, Hughes, of GMP’s serious crime division, said: “As we close the net further on this investigation and uncover more intelligence, I want to reassure our communities we are doing everything in our power to ensure we obtain every available bit of available evidence.
“Our investigation so far has been a far-reaching and painstaking process, trawling through hundreds of hours of CCTV alongside recording several accounts from the public around the circumstances.
“The four scenes in place are to make sure we investigate thoroughly and continue with our good progress and remain committed on keeping you updated as and when we make further developments.
“We are still appealing to our local communities, if they have seen, heard or witnessed anything suspicious in the areas mentioned, please do the right thing and come forward as it is not too late and that tiny bit of detail you have could be crucial.”
GMP said the two suspects, aged 42 and 68, from Salford, were arrested on suspicion of murder on 25 April after officers trawled through hundreds of hours of CCTV footage.
The 42-year-old was arrested after officers boarded a bus in Eccles Old Road at around midday, the force said. The other man was later arrested at an address in Worsley Road.
A 20-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder was later released on bail pending further inquiries.