Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘Murder victim’ found alive after five years
Farmhand lived hidden in woodland
A FARM worker who police feared had been murdered five years ago has been found living in a wood.
Ricardas Puisys vanished from the food production plant where he worked in September 2015.
Detectives launched a murder probe two months later and even arrested a man on suspicion of killing the Lithuanian.
But last November a Facebook account was set up in Ricardas’s name and messages sent to several relatives. He was found “very well-concealed” in a wood in Wisbech, Cambs, after a tip-off.
Detectives believe the 40-year-old, who has no family here, was hiding from people who had been exploiting him. The last confirmed sighting of Ricardas was at Nightlayer Leek Company in
Chatteris, Cambs. He had been with a small group of Lithuanian men and Cambridgeshire police had “genuine concerns” he had come to harm.
Det Chief Insp Rob Hall said: “For almost five years, Ricardas’s disappearance has been a complete mystery.
“That was until we received information which led us to finding him.
“Following a search of a wooded area, Ricardas was found in undergrowth.
“He was very well concealed having deliberately hidden and having not spoken with anyone for some time. We believe he made the decision to run away as he had been a victim of crime.
“He is being given the support he needs having lived through extremely difficult circumstances.”
When the Facebook account was set up, officers tried without success to make contact with Ricardas.
Family members received vague responses to messages they sent.
But one reply to a cousin contained information only Ricardas would know.
Ricardas is now under police protection and an investigation is underway.