UK UK - Damien Nettles, 16, Isle of Wight England, 2 Nov 1996

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CastlesBurning said:
University's Cold Case Unit investigates unsolved missing person cases
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This is awesome! rbbm.
Students to review unsolved missing person cases - Leeds Beckett University Blogs
''Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children are reported missing to the police each year, many of which garner media attention. The UK National Crime Agency statistics for 2018/2019 shows in England and Wales there were a total of 320,715 reported missing incidents. The statistics for 2018/2019 also recorded that 4,054 missing person cases in England and Wales have remained unsolved for more than 12 months.

LBU will essentially act as a hub for Yorkshire, also attracting specialists from their local communities to work in collaboration with students and Locate International to progress the cold cases. This model has already begun with students from the University of South Wales (USW) and the University of Central Lancashire.

One of the cases that USW students are reviewing is the disappearance of Damien Nettles, who was last seen in Cowes on the Isle of Wight in November 1996 when he was 16 years old.''
 
Snipped from article discussing the disappearances of four men.

Ex-murder detective is helping families 'living on a rollercoaster to hell'
  • 23:07, 31 AUG 2020
Damien Nettles, vanished from the Isle of Wight on November 2nd, 1996 when he was just 16.

He was last seen on a CCTV camera on Cowes High Street just after midnight.

His mum Valerie recalled: “He was last seen with his friend Christopher,

they had started to walk home together but he doubled back into town and said he was going to look for his sister Sarah. “

Later he was seen buying chips and then trying to get on a bus confused.

“He started taking a photo of the bus driver with a little camera, which was never recovered.

“I think he was being silly and he’d been drinking cider.

“I don’t know what happened to my son but something bad must have happened on his way home.”

In 2011 police arrested five men but no charges were ever brought.

“I’m excited (about this unit) by this because these are educated, enthusiastic people.

“We will never let go of the light of the hope that someday we will get answers to sooth our tortured souls.
 
Miss6 said:
Hi guys, new here. I'm not in the UK and my English is poor, so be gentle.
Can you tell me Shirley Barrett's age or birth year?
I'll explain later.
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Welcome to Ws Miss6, your English is perfect, people here are from everywhere and can speak many different languages!

Still looking for S. B's age.
Unsolved: Character profiles - BBC Three
2 August 2016
Unsolved: Character profiles
9bc18530-9382-4de9-8791-14d1f429f349.jpg
BBC

''Shirley Barrett

Episode 6

Shirley Barrett is a notorious resident of the Isle of Wight. She has a history of anti-social behaviour and used to live in what was nicknamed locally as the “House of Death”, because a number of people died there – reportedly from drug overdoses.

One of these was Nicky McNamara, who passed away in 2002. McNamara is also said to have been in a relationship with Shirley Barrett at one stage and there are rumours that he made a death-bed confession to her about his involvement in Damien’s death. Barrett denied this to us and denied knowing anything about Damien’s disappearance''
 
Miss6 said:
Why thanks dotr! I don't have access to 192 complete data, maybe you have? I think she has another surname, Shirley A Thomas. At least there are hints on the web that this is the case, but of course I could be wrong.

https://www.192.com/atoz/people/mcnamara/nicholas/po30/2601144761/

Woman admits drug charges

Shirley Thomas
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Guessing ST is roughly 58 yrs old, speculation.imo.
From your link.. rbbm.
''14th July 2009
''SHIRLEY Thomas, 47, was arrested after getting off an Isle of Wight ferry and being joined on the way to a Southampton park by a man with whom she intended to share drugs.''



 
I've just registered to FB to have access to her page. Yes, I'm not a FBer! Well, I am now... It's her. Loads of photos.
 
Her dog is called Sid. I think she's a Syd Barrett fan, hence the fake surname.
 
missacorah said:
Damien Nettles went missing November 2nd, 1996 on The Isle of Wight,
Hampshire, England. He had been out with friends and parted company
from them at approx 10.30pm. He was seen on Cowes High St by
various people. He was caught on security camera at Yorkie's Chip
Shop on Cowes High Street at approx 11:45pm. He was surrounded by
a group of 5/6 men. Only three of these men have been identified. Two
were army officers who were in Cowes for training in sailing. The other
a local drug dealer, who has since passed away, who was not identified
until after his death. This is odd, as the Isle of Wight is a very small
place and I am surprised that despite pictures and publicity of this video,
it took over six years for someone to identify this individual. The first
two men were identified after a documentary, which aired in January
1997, 2 months after Damien went missing. They were not local. The
National Missing Persons Charity was given an anonymous tip that
these two were from the Army, based in Aldershot. They were
interrogated and claim they did not know anything, however, both of
them held conversation with Damien, as seen on the video.

http://www.damiennettles.com/
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I think I can vaguely remember watching a documentary about Damien. I know they dug up a back garden and fire pit of a property connected to said drug dealer. Nothing was found, sadly. Someone knows something because as you said the Isle of Wight is a small place with a small community, all it’s going to take is someone not afraid to speak up.
 
Crazy cat lady said:
I think I can vaguely remember watching a documentary about Damien. I know they dug up a back garden and fire pit of a property connected to said drug dealer. Nothing was found, sadly. Someone knows something because as you said the Isle of Wight is a small place with a small community, all it’s going to take is someone not afraid to speak up.
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Welcome to Ws Crazy cat lady!
 
Miss6 said:
Her dog is called Sid. I think she's a Syd Barrett fan, hence the fake surname.
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I'm quoting myself to correct this information. Apparently she had been married to a Brian T Barrett, hence the surname. Pity, I thought she was a Syd Barrett fan, LOL.

I couldn't find anything on him, though, apart from 192 info https://www.192.com/atoz/people/barrett/shirley/po33/724020569/

She has other pages on FB as Shirley Thomas and Shirley Barrett.

I don't think she's involved with Damien's disappearance, but I think she knows something. She talks a lot about PTSD, she has posted photos of missing people and she obviously loathes the police. Speaking of which, does anyone have the names of the police officers involved in the case back in 1996?
 
If Damien was disposed of in the sea and weighted down, would it be possible for his remains to stay under the water? I am trying to think of how someone might be able to despose of a human body on such a close -knit island without it being discovered.
 
I think that it would have been an idea to trace Damien's camera. But I must ask, what happened to it? Was the camera destroyed or was it sold on? If only there was a way of finding sales and purchase records from local electronic dealers back then. If the camera was sold to a chain store, then they might have retained records of the purchase, some how.

But, was the camera itself the reason for Damien's disappearance? It has been reported that Damien was seen shouting up at someone's flat, someone who is reported to have been asosciated with drugs. Did Damien caputre something on that camera that someone didn't want to be recorded?
 
A really long shot, considering how old both this case and the thread are, but can anyone here point me towards a source of information where I can find out the names of the army guys from the chip shop? Or even what regiment/unit they came from? I might have spotted a link with another case but I want to be surer than I currently am. Thanks.
 
JuicyLucy said:
A really long shot, considering how old both this case and the thread are, but can anyone here point me towards a source of information where I can find out the names of the army guys from the chip shop? Or even what regiment/unit they came from? I might have spotted a link with another case but I want to be surer than I currently am. Thanks.
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I can't help with names but I know they were from Aldershot and Matchwood Barracks. If I recall correctly, one of them had the nickname Gunner.
 
May 2021
Isle of Wight teenager features in acclaimed podcast series about long-term missing
damien-nettles-montage.jpg


''Isle of Wight teenager, Damien Nettles, went missing in mysterious circumstances on 2nd November 1996. He has never been found.

Damien is the subject of the latest episode of The Missing podcast series. Hosted by Pandora Sykes and created in collaboration with charity, Missing People, and community interest group, Locate International, the podcast examines Damien’s case and speaks with his mother Valerie Nettles.

The podcast series is about the one per cent of long-term missing people who have never been traced. Sunday Times Culture describes it as, “A true crime show with a difference.”

Do you have information?
Damien’s family know that there will be some people who still don’t know the details. And perhaps one of them holds the key to solving the case once and for all.

Anyone who has information, but does not want to go to the police, can share it with Missing People via their Website.

Missing for 24 years
The Nettles family have had the continued support of thousands of Islanders in their search for Damien over the last 24+ years and as each year passes, campaigns for information leading to his remains are launched.

Never forgotten
The mystery of Damien’s disappearance led to an eight-part mini series by the BBC and Damien’s portrait has been included in a national art exhibition. His mother, Val, has written a book about her experience in the hunt for Damien and there’s even a new investigation for intelligence being carried out by University of Central Lancashire’s (UCLan) first Missing Persons Community Investigation Team.''
 
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