A man has been charged with murdering a man whose remains were found in an Essex pond on New Year’s Eve.
The remains of Phillip Lewis were discovered in Oakwood Pond in Harlow and police said they were likely to have been there for “weeks”.
Lee Clark, 52, of Wedhey, Harlow, has been charged with murder and will appear at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
A second man, aged 23, who was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, has been bailed until March while inquiries continue.
Detective Superintendent Rob Kirby, Essex’s major crime boss, said police were continuing to drain the pond to allow them to investigate the scene.
“Over the past eight days, we’ve had a team of dedicated detectives and forensic experts who have pieced together what we believe to be the circumstances surrounding Phillip’s death,” he said.
“Of course, this work does not stop at the point of charge and in many ways this is still the beginning of a complex investigation into the death of a 59-year-old man who was a son and friend.”
Police still want to hear from anyone who came into contact with Mr Lewis after November 1, as well as people who saw anything suspicious at the pond in the past two months, and those who live nearby who have doorbell or CCTV cameras.