A 13-year-long mystery was finally solved after remains found in woodland near Huddersfield earlier this year were identified. Much loved dad Kevin Judge disappeared from the Lupset area of Wakefield in April 2013.
The well‑known grandfather of four, who was 68 when he vanished, was dropped off at his home by a taxi on April 15 after spending time in Wakefield city centre. When his daughter visited the following day, he was nowhere to be found. Concerned for his safety, his family feared he may have been murdered and were left wondering if he was alive or dead.
West Yorkshire Police have informed the family this week that they do not believe there were any suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.
The discovery of the remains prompted an investigation by the West Yorkshire Homicide and Major Enquiry Team (HMET).
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Kevin’s daughter, Louise Wilson, told Yorkshire Live that she felt “some relief” at finally learning what had happened to her beloved dad.
Describing him as a “typical Yorkshire bloke” she called her father a “a bit of a character.” Louise said she does not know why he ended up in woodland near Emley, as the area was not on his usual bus route, but suggested he may have been experiencing the early stages of dementia, although he had not been formally diagnosed.
She admitted the news was “bitter sweet,” saying: “I thought he had been killed. It was just strange him disappearing.” She added: “It’s a mystery why he has gone that way. He loved walking, but why he went there I don’t know.”
Louise explained that family members, including her mother Sheila—who remained close to Kevin following a divorce—had never stopped thinking or searching for him.
She said: “Mum died three years ago. She was always fretting about him. She would mention him two or three times a week and was always looking in the papers. She was always thinking about him. »
n a post on social media, Louise said: « I’m writing to let you know that the remains found in Huddersfield have been identified as my dad’s. It’s a tough time, but at least the mystery is solved after 13 years. It looks like he may of passed away from a heart attack.
« I’d like to thank everyone who’s looked for him and asked about him over the years – it means a lot. Rest in peace, Dad (Kevin Judge). »
West Yorkshire Police has been approached for comment.
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