The Story Of A Dead Man...

Sept. 16, 2008

Carole Moore
Missing Persons Contributor
Officer.com

...Who wasn’t. John Delaney, found dead and decomposed in the bushes near a hospital in Manchester, England, was cremated five years ago. At least that’s what his family thought. As it turned out, Delaney was alive and living in a group home when his son, John Renehan, spied him on a television show about missing persons. According to newspaper reports, Delaney had been reported missing by his family at about the same time he turned up injured and unable to identify himself. When a body that fit Delaney’s description was discovered, it was assumed to be that of the missing man. The family chose not to view the remains and that individual was cremated. Reportedly, Delaney and his family are reconnecting and police are trying to identify the dead man. Somewhere there is a family whose loved one has passed on and they don’t know it. This story succeeds in pointing out that there is hope even when it springs from an impossible place, and things aren’t always what they seem. For a full account, go to: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4674255.ece For my missing person link, take a look at this beautiful baby, Leslie Puente, only a little over one year old: http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&LanguageCountry=en_US&searchLang=en_US&caseLang=en_US&orgPrefix=NCMC&caseNum=1100716&seqNum=1
About the Author

Carole Moore

A 12-year veteran of police work, Carole Moore has served in patrol, forensics, crime prevention and criminal investigations, and has extensive training in many law enforcement disciplines. She welcomes comments at [email protected]

She is the author of The Last Place You'd Look: True Stories of Missing Persons and the People Who Search for Them (Rowman & Littlefield, Spring 2011)

Carole can be contacted through the following:

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