Greater Manchester Police have issued a video in response to unsubstantiated claims that a serial killer dubbed the ‘Pusher’ is responsible for deaths on the region’s waterways.
Between 2008 and 2014, 13 women and 72 men have sadly died in canals, lakes, ponds and rivers.
Only one of those bodies was left unidentified.
Of those deaths, 11 were recorded in Manchester city centre, 11 were recorded in Manchester and the remaining 63 died in waterways throughout the rest of Greater Manchester; an area of 493 square miles.
Detective Superintendent Peter Marsh said: “GMP would never dismiss or diminish the death of any person or any of the findings of a Coroner, each death has been subject to significant investigation and review by Detective teams overseen by a Senior Investigating Officer.
“If evidence of a crime being committed is not proved, then cases such as these are independently scrutinised by Her Majesty's Coroner within the Coronial process, who deliver the verdict, it is not the Police who deliver the finding of death whether that be a Natural Causes/Suicide/Accident/Unlawful Killing/Open or Narrative verdict.
“There have been no verdicts of unlawful killing in these cases, or direction that they believe a third party was involved in any of these tragic incidents. If there were, GMP would have reinvestigated them.
“The speculation and opinion offered by some observers of these events have been made without examination of all the facts and evidence, instead it has been made on supposition and opinion rather than a considered review of all the material.
“Whilst there are some unanswered questions, there is no evidence to support the opinion that these deaths occurred as a result of a serial killer; which is what the speculation is about.
“The GMP investigations have been painstaking and thorough; where there are gaps in any enquiry we have identified them to the Coroner especially when we are not able to confirm certain facts.
“The Coroners in Manchester have all indicated that if a person has real evidence about any death they dealt with that was not heard at inquest, then they should refer it back to them and they will act accordingly. At the present time GMP have no plans to revisit these investigations unless new evidence comes to light.
“There have also been incidents which have not been reported in the press, where people have entered the water by different means, have subsequently been pulled out alive and survived, none have indicated that they were either lured there or pushed in.
“GMP will continue to investigate any death of this nature thoroughly and if specific credible evidence rather than speculation that a crime has occurred comes to light, then we will seek to identify and prosecute that person as the public would expect.”
