Murder Investigation Launched Over Case Of Missing Father & Son Who Vanished In Spain 3 Years Ago
Police have launched a double-murder investigation after a British father and son disappeared in Spain's Costa del Sol over three years ago. Authorities believe the pair had links to drug gangs.
The two men had travelled to Spain for a six-day road trip, but apart from their initial contact after arrival on April 1, 2019, they haven't been heard from.
It was confirmed yesterday that Sussex Police were treating the case of the disappearances of 46-year-old Daniel Poole, and his 22-year-old son Liam, from Burgess Hill, West Sussex, as a double-murder inquiry.
The Mirror said that both men had links to drugs gangs with the father reportedly carrying £20,000 cash in a suitcase on the trip - the suitcase has never been recovered.
The pair were last seen at an internet cafe after checking into the luxurious Ona Valle Romano Golf & Resort in the town of Estepona, near Malaga.
The alleged reason for their trip was that father-of-three Daniel, a garage owner, was looking at buying a holiday villa.
Their clothes and passports were left in their hotel room, and the grey Peugeot 308 car they had hired was never returned, leading to an international investigation by both Spanish and British police.
Daniel's daughter and Liam's sister Lauryn Poole, 23, spoke to the Mirror after hearing the news of the murder investigation, she said: "There was hope there but now it's gone. It's brought on a whole new level of grief, and I've really struggled to accept it."
Daniel's ex-wife and Liam's mother Lisa Berwick, 46, said: "I knew it from the start but it still hurts to hear it."
Investigators have previously linked the pair's disappearance to one of Britain's most wanted men - notorious criminal Kevin Parle.
Investigator Peter Bleksley said: "There's a clear linkage between the network of criminals that have been harbouring and funding Kevin Parle and the disappearance of Danny and Liam Poole.
"It's worth of further investigation - the police need to take this very seriously," he told the Mirror in 2019.
He added that an informant within the criminal gang had confirmed Parle was behind the disappearance of the father and son, he said: "The source said they weren't implicating Parle directly, but told me that 'the father and son from Burgess Hill won't be seen again'.
"I later met my source face-to-face and discussed Danny and Liam. The source told me the criminal network surrounding Kevin Parle was responsible for their disappearance.
"I've also identified a number of individuals in Parle's network, some of whom have residential and business addresses on the south coast and Sussex, not far from where Danny and Liam were living. Everything points to these two cases being linked."
A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: "We are taking legal steps to take primacy of the investigation as the Spanish are no longer investigating the disappearance of Danny and Liam Poole.
"This includes obtaining material from the Spanish investigation. Both Danny and Liam's disappearances are now recorded as unsubstantiated deaths in accordance with our responsibilities under the National Crime Recording Standards."
Europol Claims it Has Dismantled "Super Cartel" That Controlled A Third Of Europe's Cocaine Trade