Body of man, 32, missing for eight days, found on roof of his home in Leeds
10 October 2022, 12:02 | Updated: 10 October 2022, 12:22
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The body of a man who had been missing for eight days has been found on the roof of his three-storey terraced home in Leeds.
Police say they believe the victim is 32-year-old Gerard Colgan, who was reported missing on October 2.
Roads were closed in Leeds suburb of Chapeltown yesterday afternoon as emergency services retrieved the body from the roof of a house in Harehills Avenue.
Videos and pictures shared via YappApp - a community sharing platform - showed a member of the emergency services opening a skylight on the roof and examining the body. Despite ambulances also attending the scene, it soon became clear that the man was already dead. Firefighters then removed the corpse by use of a ladder platform.
The body is believed to be that of Gerard Colgan. Mr Colgan, 32, had not been seen since 2nd October and was reported missing last Friday.
Police are currently investigating how the body got there and how it came to be underneath the blanket.
Shocked neighbours have taken online to share their own theories, with some suggesting that the man may have collapsed whilst carrying out repairs on the roof.
West Yorkshire police said: "The body of a man found on the roof of a house in Leeds yesterday is believed to be a man reported missing from the address.
"At 2.40pm on Sunday, the body was located on the roof. While formal identification is yet to be completed, it is believed to be Mr Colgan and his family has been informed.
"There were no suspicious circumstances and the Coroner’s Office has been notified."
His brother, Rory Colgan wrote on Facebook during the search: “My brothers (sic) not been seen for a few days and were all a little concerned about his wellbeing."
One woman who lives a few doors down told LeedsLive: “I saw all the emergency services rushing down the street yesterday I didn’t know what to think about it. I didn’t know him personally but I saw what had happened.”
