Philip Salmon, a forty-one-year-old unemployed man described as a loner, was last seen alive on April 30th, 2006, around midday. He had met with family at his home in Pine Court on Reading Road in the quiet town of Farnborough, Hampshire, where he lived alone. Shortly afterward, he was reported missing. For nearly seven weeks, there was no trace of him, until June 16th, 2006, when a golfer searching for a lost ball in undergrowth at the Army Golf Course on Shoe Lane stumbled upon a burnt body.
The location was just half a mile from Philip’s home, adding to the mystery. Police quickly identified the remains through dental records, as the body was significantly decomposed and charred. A post-mortem examination failed to determine the exact cause of death, but investigators believed gasoline had been used to set the body alight. Detective Chief Inspector Jason Hogg stated at the time: “The circumstances surrounding the death of Philip Salmon are still not fully known. All the evidence suggests he did not set fire to himself and he did not commit suicide.”
It remained unclear whether Philip was killed at the golf course or murdered elsewhere and dumped in the bushes. Hampshire Constabulary launched a full murder inquiry, and in the weeks following the discovery, four men were arrested on suspicion of murder. However, no charges were brought, and there are no records of any trials or convictions.
Philip was known to have been depressed in the period leading up to his disappearance, and his parents had been supporting him. Despite this, police ruled out suicide, emphasizing the deliberate nature of the burning.
Nearly twenty years on, no new breakthroughs have been publicly reported, and details about what exactly happened to Philip Salmon remain frustratingly murky.
Crime Immemorial 