Podcast hopes to identify mystery body ‘Balmore Man’ found in 2011

A new podcast will invite listeners to help identify a dead body found more than a decade ago.

The first episode of true crime podcast Jigsaw will examine the cold case of so-called Balmore Man, whose body was found in woodland on October 16 2011 by a wildlife photographer working in Balmore, a village in East Dunbartonshire.

The man’s body was thought to have been there for up to six months and no identification or mobile phone was found.

A post-mortem examination estimated he was aged between 25 and 34, about 5ft 8ins to 6ft 1in and of a slight build.

A new facial reconstruction carried out by the University of Dundee showed his fair hair styled similarly to David Beckham in the mid-90s, with long curtains parted at the side.

The man was believed to be white European and was wearing a blue Topman t-shirt and a zipped cardigan with a “Greek Pennsylvania” logo, as well as Petroleum branded jeans and black walking boots from Lidl.

A Nike messenger bag found nearby contained multiple sets of earphones and chargers, and although it contained smoking paraphernalia no tobacco was found, and it also contained a spare change of clothes.

The case will be examined on true crime podcast Jigsaw, created by missing persons charity Locate International, which works with universities and law enforcement agencies as well as the families of missing people, and What’s The Story? Sounds.

Listeners are invited to help solve the cold case with a “community-driven approach”.

There are nearly 1,000 people in the UK who died without their identities being established and the new podcast series aims to help solve these.

A spokesperson for Locate International said: “As a leading charity dedicated to solving missing persons cases, Locate International is committed to shedding light on these often-overlooked narratives.

“We aspire to release bonus episodes as case developments unfold, helping bridge the gap and sustain engagement, ensuring that listeners feel connected and informed throughout the journey of each investigation.

“Produced in collaboration with What’s The Story? Sounds, Jigsaw promises to captivate true crime enthusiasts and armchair detectives alike.

“Join in and help piece together the fragments of these puzzling cases and work towards bringing resolution to the families affected by the loss of their loved ones.”

Jigsaw has been released on all major podcast platforms.