Detectives investigating the discovery of human remains in a field have launched a murder inquiry and appealed for information about socks and a shoe found at the site.
Nottinghamshire Police said evidence gathered during a three-week search of the scene, near Sutton-in-Ashfield, suggested the victim was buried there in an attempt to prevent the discovery of his body.
A number of bones were found on April 26 by a member of the public after construction work on farmland in Coxmoor Road, prompting a police operation which saw the exhumation of further remains.
Extensive work and a post-mortem examination have been conducted by a team of scientists, including an anthropologist, suggesting the skeleton is that of a male who was aged 40-60 and between 5ft 4in and 5ft 6in tall.
DNA testing has ruled out a link with the disappearance and suspected murder of 47-year-old Robin Barrows Spencer, a local man who was reported missing by his mother in June 2004.
Officers are now awaiting the results of radiocarbon dating testing to determine when the individual died.
Appealing for information and confirming that two socks and a shoe were found at the burial site, Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “It is important to remember this is not just a collection of bones in a field.
“This is someone’s loved one whose family will have undoubtedly been waiting many years for answers.
“His family are at the forefront of our minds and that is why we have been meticulous in our decision-making by ensuring we were at the scene in Coxmoor Road for three weeks to ensure we can gather as much evidence as possible.
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