Alps enquiry remains open

Thursday 13 September 2018

More than nine months on Guernsey Police are still investigating the death of Latvian man, Mikus Alps, with the results of forensic tests being kept confidential while other ongoing enquiries continue.

Following the recent sentencing of two men, one of whom was arrested in the aftermath of Mr Alps death when he helped police with their initial enquiries, the Chief Officer of Guernsey Police has given an update with little fresh information on the situation.

Pictured: Neil Macdonald and Jack Falls were sentenced to 18 months in prison each, after Macdonald was arrested in the aftermath of Mikus Alps disappearance 

Patrick Rice said his officers are continuing to work with experts elsewhere.

"As stated previously, this was always going to be a lengthy and complex investigation," he said. "The nature of the remains found in a burnt out car in January led us to request specialist forensic examinations that could only be completed by experts off-island. There are very few of these specialists and they are stationed in different jurisdictions, which means we were very much in their hands in terms of timings. However, we requested this specialist forensic support to ensure we explore every legitimate avenue to help try and establish cause of death. I am unable to provide details of those findings at this stage, as the work is linked to other ongoing enquiries. However, I will be able to share more details with the community in due course once all lines of enquiry are complete."

The thirst for information concerning Mr Alps death was particularly intense soon after his death. He had initially been reported missing, then bones were discovered in his car which were later confirmed to be his. A "sombre and reflective note" was handed in to police and tests have proven it was written by Mr Alps.

Interest in Mr Alps death continues with Mr Rice facing repeated calls from the media and others for further information.

"While I am conscious of the desire for more information, from Mr Alps' loved ones, who we remain in regular contact with, the media and the community, it is common for investigations of this complexity to take a significant amount of time. We are seeking to bring the various experts who have supported our investigation together, to examine and discuss all forensic findings. This will help ensure clarity. While we are again reliant on coordinating diaries for experts who are very busy, we are in the latter stages of our investigation and I will provide the community with more detailed information about our enquiries and findings as soon as possible," Mr Rice said.

Pictured: Patrick Rice speaking at a press conference after Mikus Alps death 

Mr Rice is determined to prevent any misrepresentation of the facts and his latest statement reinforces that aim.

"I would again repeat the facts that I am able to confirm at this stage. The investigation has so far established that the remains found in the vehicle in January were that of Mikus Alps. A handwriting expert confirmed that a letter handed into police, which was sombre and reflective in content, was written by Mr Alps. The remains of a shotgun were also found in the car next to the remains of Mr Alps. Mr Alps was a supporter of a pro-Ukrainian movement and had visited the country. We are aware that Mr Alps’ Facebook account has been active since his remains were found; it is not uncommon for people to share their social media log-in details with others.

"Based on what we have established so far, there is no evidence linking Mr Alps’ activity in Ukraine with his remains being found in a burnt-out car in Guernsey."