As the desperate search for missing great-grandad Peter Baglin neared the ten week mark, police made a horrific discovery. Human remains were uncovered and later confirmed to belong to Peter, who had gone out for a walk on December 28 and never returned.
It was the day that Peter's wife Michelle and family said they 'wished would never come'. After more than two months of clutching on to hope, holding on to a glimmer of light, they received the worst possible news. It was finally some closure and answers - but not ones they had ever wished to receive.
Peter, 55, went for a walk on the evening of December 28. He had bought a small bottle of whiskey from the Texaco Garage nearby, on the East Lancashire Road in Mosley Common. He was last seen on the CCTV cameras at the petrol station at 7.38pm.
Around half an hour later, Peter spoke to his concerned wife Michelle on the phone. He told her he was going out for a walk along the Bridgewater Canal to 'clear his head'. He assured her he would 'be home soon'. He would always tell her: "Michelle, you are my world."
But sadly, he never returned home.
The following day, on December 29, a number of Peter's belongings were recovered on the canal embankment, at the bottom of Vicars Hall Lane in Boothstown, a short walk from his family home. Peter was reported as missing, and huge searches quickly got underway.
On December 30, two days after Peter's disappearance, specialist search teams were pictured scouring the nearby woodland with police divers also searching the canal. It was later confirmed by police the efforts were in hope of finding Peter or uncovering what had happened to him.
It was not only the police who were involved, but also over 200 members of the local community who, along with Peter's close family and friends, carried out extensive organised searches of their own. They completed door to door enquiries, checked local CCTV footage and searched land as far as Glazebrook, Culcheth, Astley, Swinton, Kearsley and Irlam.
One week after Peter's sudden disappearance, on January 4, his wife Michelle sat down with the Manchester Evening News. She pleaded for him to come home and said it was 'out of character'. She told of her family's turmoil, saying: "There is no way he would be away from me and his family. He loves us and wouldn't put us through this."
With each new day, police enquiries continued with pace, but after a fortnight, there were still no leads in the investigation or any further confirmed sightings of Peter.
The investigation had hit a roadblock. With no new confirmed sightings and extensive searches carried out by specialist teams, Michelle and Peter's family were still sitting, waiting and praying for answers. "It is always there in the back of your mind. Even when you try and just carry on and be normal, you can't. It's a bit like a bereavement, but there's nothing at the end of it and no answers," Michelle said in her second interview with the M.E.N, one month on from Peter's disappearance.
"I am at a loss - none of us can believe it. We are all just sitting and waiting for something to come up," she added.
Weeks later, on February 7, Greater Manchester Police continued in their efforts, issuing a new video appeal filmed at Peter's family home. Michelle was filmed making a direct plea to Peter where she said "I just want you home."
Peter had been missing for six weeks - but his family were still waiting for answers.
A month later, on March 1, a volunteer water search team from Lancashire, Beneath the Surface made contact with Michelle and offered to conduct their own search. Using specialist sonar equipment they scaled around three miles of the Bridgewater Canal but did not find anything. Members of the local community also embarked on another search of the local area on February 26.
And as was seen in the disappearance of Nicola Bulley in Lancashire, 'social media investigators' reared their heads once again, sharing homemade videos to Youtube, making their own suggestions about what could have happened to Peter. One user even suggested their may have been a 'third party' involved, with wife Michelle hitting back saying the rumours were 'fuelling speculation'.
Nine weeks on from Peter's disappearance, on March 2, Greater Manchester Police vowed to retrace their steps in the hope of a development in the investigation. A second search of the Bridgewater Canal commenced. On the night Peter went missing, police said there were 'extremely low temperatures' and that a change in seasons can 'impact how the water behaves'.
Police Search Advisors team returned to the canal once more to carry out a further search, with Mountain Rescue and drones also deployed. The force said the search would continue for a number of days.
Then, on Saturday morning (March 4) human remains were found. A huge emergency services presence swarmed to the canal, at the bottom of Vicars Hall Lane, cordoning off the towpath beside the water. Although it was too early to confirm if the remains were Peter, his family were informed of the major development.
"We understand that the last two months have been extremely difficult for them and this continues to be a distressing time for all of Peter’s loved ones," Detective Inspector Michael Sharples said in a public statement.
There was an anxious wait for formal identification to take place. It was then confirmed on Monday (March 6) that the remains were that of Peter. The nine-week-long turmoil had come to a tragic end.
Paying tribute to her husband and partner of almost 30 years, Peter's wife Michelle said: “Today is a day we wished would never come and our family is absolutely devastated at the news of Pete’s passing. When I think of Pete, I think of him as my best buddy and after being together almost 30 years, we complemented each other perfectly.
“He was a fantastic father, grandfather and great-grandfather; to our three children, our four grandchildren and our great-grand child. Pete was also a great brother to his two brothers. He was a much loved son and his mum and dad are being comforted at their home down south by Pete’s brother Paul and Paul’s wife, Katie.
“Over the last nine or so weeks, we have been endlessly searching for Pete. I would like to pass on a huge thanks from our family to friends and members of the community who have turned out time and time again trying to help us find him. We would also like to thank Greater Manchester Police for maintaining contact with me every day since Pete went missing; and also for the constant support they have given me.
“We don’t know how we are going to move on from this day, but whilst we try and come to terms with our loss, and grieve Pete’s passing, we would ask that our privacy is now respected.”
Police say it is not believed there are any suspicious circumstances surrounding his death and a file is being prepared for the coroner for the purpose of inquest proceedings.
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