Burial records for unclaimed deceased in 1990s? Also police records?

[Lindyboo]

Hello Rootschatters

Is there a repository/website etc, which records details of persons whose remains were not claimed by anyone?  I'm trying to find a relative who died, perhaps some time in the 1990s, whose immediate family were approached by the police to ask if they would claim his body but they refused.  I'm left to assume that it was interred by the local authority in the place where he died.  To make matters more complicated, his place of death is unknown and it's not certain he died in the UK, but the relatives contacted lived in Yorkshire.

I'd also be glad to know if there are police records available for the 1990s which can be accessed.  The above individual, it's thought, was wanted by the police in England and possibly in Ireland during that decade and perhaps earlier.

Not much to go on, alas, but I'm trying every angle.

Thanks

[CaroleW]

His death would have had to be registered so if you know his name & birth year/birthdate  you can look it up online which will tell you where he died. 

[Lindyboo]

Thank you CaroleW.  There is no record of him in the UK indexes.  There's a death notice in an Irish newspaper, of a man with the same name, born in the same small village in Ireland, dying in Switzerland in 1992, but the Swiss records/newspapers have nothing online that matches (though they are a poor resource in themselves).  It's also thought that he was wanted by the police in Yorkshire in about 1995, but no further information has been found.

I know his date and place of birth and where he lived until the late 50s, but after that he is elusive.  He lived under several aliases and married under one of them in 1973 in Yorkshire, but after that he disappears.  He held several passports in false names.  His closest surviving relative - who is one of those who refused to claim his body - adamantly will not reveal anything.  His other relatives in Ireland have no information.

I and my co-researcher have scoured the internet for a decade and found nothing.  I think this is one mystery that will never be solved, alas.

[Josephine]

Thank you CaroleW.  There is no record of him in the UK indexes.  There's a death notice in an Irish newspaper, of a man with the same name, born in the same small village in Ireland, dying in Switzerland in 1992, but the Swiss records/newspapers have nothing online that matches (though they are a poor resource in themselves).  It's also thought that he was wanted by the police in Yorkshire in about 1995, but no further information has been found.

Even though the information isn't available online, it might be possible to access it, with help (assuming it is extant).

Did the death notice list the town or city where he died? If yes, would it be possible to write to the nearest library and ask if there were any newspaper notices about his death? Could you write to the local police station and/or archives and ask where criminal records might be held, if there are any?

[Lindyboo]

Hello Josephine

The death notice only said Switzerland, unfortunately.  I'm as yet not aware of any help available for searching Swiss records in that country, but you've jogged my thoughts in that direction, so I'll post something on the relevant board on Rootschat and keep my fingers crossed. 

Thank you for your suggestion.
Kind regards
Lindyboo

[Josephine]

Good luck in your search, Lindyboo!

[Rena]

I wondered whether the european Police Force EUROPOL would have any records

"...The European Police Office, or Europol for short, was established in the Maastricht Treaty on European Union of 7 February 1992, as a response to problems of European trans-national crime. Europol was the first attempt at establishing a transnational policing organisation to handle cross-border policing ..."

https://www.europol.europa.eu/

[Andy J2022]

Provided that you know which part of Yorkshire was involved you could do a freedom of information request to the relevant police force, bearing in mind there are three separate constabularies for Yorkshire (or 4 if you include Humberside). Make it very clear that you are only seeking details they may have about his death. This may include what happened to the body, if they were informed about it.They are unlikely to give you anything about the reason he was wanted by them or his criminal record etc.
Each force has a place on its website where you can submit FoI requests.
Further to what Rena suggested, since Switzerland is not an EU member state, you might also try Interpol, to see if there was an international warrant or Red Notice for him. https://www.interpol.int/How-we-work/Notices/View-Red-Notices (obviously since he has been dead for some time, there won't be anything about him on the current database).

[Rena]

Here's the Hull, Humberside and also the East riding of Yorkshire Police archive website.

https://www.eastriding.gov.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=zPOL