Tributes to man, 26, discovered lifeless in ‘brutal Peak District stone circle homicide’
A 26-year-old man has been named locally as Isaac Clare-Watts, a qualified joiner from Arnold, Nottinghamshire, who was found dead in the Peak District after a suspected murder
Isaac Clare-Watts was found dead after a summer solstice celebration
Tributes are pouring in for a “very popular” man who was discovered dead in the Peak District following a suspected murder. He has been locally identified as 26-year-old Isaac Clare-Watts, a trained joiner from Arnold, Nottingham.
Derbyshire Police confirmed that they were alerted to reports of a man’s body found at the Nine Ladies Stone Circle in Stanton Lees around 1.38pm on Monday (June 22). Emergency services arrived at the scene and a 26-year-old man was declared dead. The discovery came after the summer solstice celebration at the Bronze Age stone circle on Sunday.
A 41-year-old man has been detained on suspicion of murder in relation to the incident and he remains in custody, reports Nottinghamshire Live. The victim has not yet been officially identified, but his family have been informed and are now receiving support from specially trained officers.
Mr Clare-Watts had been employed as a joiner at the Nottingham-based construction company Frank Goulding Ltd and departed late last year for a period of travelling.
It is believed he had recently returned to the UK and intended to continue his global travels.
The team at Frank Goulding released a statement saying: “Isaac joined us as a young man in 2016 to pursue a career in construction. He successfully completed his joinery apprenticeship and developed into a very skilled joiner.
“Isaac was a very popular member of our team and decided last year he wanted to take some time and go and see the world, in particular spending some time in Thailand to develop his Muay Thai skills, which was a passion of his.
“We are all very saddened to hear the tragic news and our prayers and sympathy go to his family.”
Derbyshire Police has expressed its eagerness to speak with anyone who was at the Nine Ladies Stone Circle over the weekend and anyone who has video footage from the summer solstice, or of vehicles arriving and departing over the weekend.
Detective Inspector Tony Owen from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), who is leading the investigation, added: “I am urgently appealing for anyone who attended the summer solstice event over the weekend to please speak to officers as soon as they can.
“A young man’s life has been taken in the most brutal way so it is vital that myself and the team build up a clear picture of the exact circumstances surrounding his death. This is why we urgently need to speak to everyone who was at the scene over the weekend.
“You may have only been there briefly and think you can’t help but you could hold the key piece of information we need to understand what has happened and help us to get justice for this young man’s family.
“So I would ask, please, that if you attended the event, you contact us urgently so we can build up a picture of the event itself and what has led to this man’s death. I also really urge anyone who captured video footage from the event over the weekend to please come forward. You could play a key role in helping us with this murder investigation.”
Anyone with information can contact Derbyshire Police on 101, quoting the incident reference 26*364216.
