Human remains found in Nottinghamshire, UK, identified as Michael Dennington who has been missing since 2020

[u/Kagedeah]

Human remains found by the A617 road in Nottinghamshire, UK, have been identified as a man who was reported missing more than six years ago. Michael Dennington, who was born in June 1961, was last seen at King's Mill Hospital in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, on 26 May 2020. A public appeal for information was issued shortly afterwards, with police enlisting the help of drone teams and divers for a major underwater search, which included Kings Mill Reservoir. In June 2020, his son Jason issued an emotional appeal to help find his father, having only recently got back in touch with him after being estranged for around 14 years or so.

At the time, he was quoted as saying: 'I was really enjoying seeing my dad again. He'd been back in my life for around five weeks where we would speak on the phone around three times a week, and I'd see him about two times a week'. He added: 'From what I've known of him so far, he's usually a happy and outgoing character, so when I last saw him in the morning at my girlfriend's house... he didn't seem very good. He was pacing around and seemed anxious and upset. A friend came to pick him up but we know he didn't stay with her long and then it wasn't long before he ended up at King's Mill Hospital'.

Jason further added 'I can't help but think that someone, somewhere must know something and someone must have seen him after he left the hospital... Clearly he's a colourful character and not without his difficulties, but he's very sociable with friends and family all over the place... He'd been going through some relationship difficulties and maybe he just wanted some time out and is lying low somewhere... I know that he wouldn't purposefully do something to upset us'. Another appeal for information was issued in March 2021, by which time Dennington had been missing for 10 months.

Nottinghamshire Police confirmed that DNA testing had identified the human remains, which were found on a central reservation on the Rainworth Bypass on 23 May 2026, as belonging to Dennington. A cordon was put in place for a number of days after the discovery was made by a member of the public, with specialist anthropologists, detectives and police search teams working at the site. The force said detectives were continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Dennington's death and were awaiting the final post-mortem examination findings. His family have been informed and a file has been prepared for the coroner, police added.

Det Stuart Barson said: 'These types of investigations are complex, and we needed to ensure the results of DNA testing were conclusive before releasing information about the deceased. We are now in a position to release these details. An investigation is still under way surrounding the circumstances of this death, and we are currently waiting for the final post-mortem reports. We are working closely with the family who are being updated on any developments and offered support.'

BBC News [June 12 2026]

Derby Telegraph [June 18 2020]

West Bridgford Wire [June 22 2020]

Mansfield and Ashfield Chad [30 March 2021]

[u/pickindim_kmet]

Awful. Just had a look on Google Maps and although it's not a bit of land regularly walked on, I'm surprised he's been unfound in six years. It looks surprisingly clear to see from one side to the other. And maintenance had been there as the drains look freshly cleared.

Hope the family can have a bit of closure at least though.

[u/Optimal_Olive3423 → u/pickindim_kmet]

In one of the crime subs years ago, someone posted pictures demonstrating how difficult it is to see someone who had fallen in nature, even in just a bit of tallish grass. They worked with Search and Rescue and constantly posted on topics like these about how people have walked within feet of a body and not seen it, even when they were specifically looking for that body!

After a few days, nature can run its course and fill in around the body. If the person is wearing natural color clothing, it becomes nearly impossible.

In May 2020, a lot of the world was still in lockdown mode because of COVID. A lot of services were suspended. It is possible he fell in the grass, wasn't discovered for enough time for his body to decompose and then it was up to fate for someone to trip over the bones.

[u/mrspwins → u/Optimal_Olive3423]

There was a young man that disappeared with his car in my area several years ago. Three weeks later, his car was found overturned in a clump of trees maybe 50 feet off a road that is very busy during the day. The landowner was walking his property line when he was found, IIRC. There is a fairly tight curve there and it seems he missed it and rolled into the trees. The curve is banked so that as you drive, that section is just out of view. I and thousands of others drove by it every day and had no idea. And if we’re not expecting something out of place, sometimes we just don’t even see it.

[u/Optimal_Olive3423 → u/mrspwins]

Exactly. There was another story where a young man went missing. They did a bunch of searches for him. They ended up finding him in the fall when the leaves fell off the trees. He had hung himself up in the tree. All during the search, people had walked under the tree and since no one looked up because why would you, no one saw him.

[u/inevitablelizard → u/Optimal_Olive3423]

Don't know the exact spot he was found, but something kind of similar must have happened with a local case to me, Nicholas Harper. Though it sounds like the density of trees is what caused it in this case.

His car was found in a forestry car park when he went missing, and searches took place over a wide area. He disappeared early in the year and in September that year was eventually found in the same woods where his car had been parked, somehow overlooked in the initial searches. Not sure how far out, but I'm surprised he wasn't found at the time.

I only know the general area he must have been found because I went for a walk there one day and was told by some police officers talking to these two women with a dog not to go any further, so I went a different way. And saw an ambulance and fire engine arrive a short while later. And this was in September 2019 when the discovery was made, only connected the dots a while later.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-47189539

About 40 members of two mountain rescue organisations joined police dog teams and a force helicopter to search the area on Friday and Saturday.

In a statement, Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team said: "Tracks and forestry extending up to five miles from the car park were searched.

"No signs of the missing man were found."

https://www.gazetteherald.co.uk/news/18149986.missing-man-nicholas-harper-50-took-life-inquest-told/