Police investigating the discovery of human remains in Glenrothes have released a facial reconstruction in a bid to identify the man.
Experts from John Muir University, in Liverpool, have compiled a representation of the man’s face, which has now been released to the public.
Officers say he was at least 35, had lost several teeth and had a surgical plate fitted in his left ankle.
A major investigation was launched following the grim find at disused units in Whitehills Industrial Estate on September 27.
Officers believe the body had been there for at least two years.
Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Houliston, of Police Scotland’s Major Investigations Unit, urged anyone who recognised him to come forward.
“This man clearly had family,” he said.
“He may have been a father, a brother, he may have been an uncle.
“My appeal today is for any information that would assist us in establishing who this man is and how he came to be in Whitehill Industrial Estate.”
Police have been working with a number of forensics experts, including those at the Liverpool-based Face Lab.
“There are a number of distinctive features that we have been able to establish about the man,” said Mr Houliston.
“We know that he was at least 35 years of age but may have been significantly older.
“He was about 5ft 8in to 5ft 9in in height, he was of slight build and had lost a number of teeth during his life.
“In addition to that, what we do know is that he had also sustained a fracture to his left ankle at some point and had a surgical plate fitted to this.”
“He may have been a father, a brother, he may have been an uncle.”
DCI Houliston.
The plate’s batch number indicates it may have been fitted in a hospital in Fife, Sheffield or Ashford in Kent in December 1998.
Mr Houliston said he hoped somebody would look at the image and recognise him or the information given.
“I want to unite him with his family and find out what happened to him,” he said.
Following the discovery, officers sealed off a section of the industrial estate and spent five days on site before the body was exhumed and a post mortem examination carried out.
It did not establish a cause of death and further forensic work is ongoing.
Families of long-term missing people, including those of Glenrothes men Allan Bryant and Kenneth Jones, were contacted and faced an agonising wait for news.
It was later established the remains were not those of either of the two men.
Police also consulted the missing persons’ database in a bid to establish an identity.
“We have been proactively reviewing missing persons’ reports to no avail,” said Mr Houliston.
In addition, officers appealed to anyone who had used the industrial estate in the previous few years to get in touch, including members of the Travelling community, youths who had congregated there and former workers.
“We had a number of responses to the appeals for information we put out,” Mr Houliston said.
Anyone with relevant information can make an anonymous call to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Information can also be sent by email to operationrimau@scotland.pnn.police.uk or submitted through the Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP) website via https://mipp.police.uk/operation/SCOT20S26-PO1
