A walker has found skeletal remains in a cave at Llwyn-On reservoir in the Brecon Beacons that have been identified as those of 32-year-old Jordan Moray, who disappeared from his home in Cwmbach, Aberdare, in July 2019, South Wales Police said. A post-mortem examination has been carried out and police said the death is not being treated as suspicious; a coroner has been updated and the family have been informed.
The discovery, made last week a few hundred yards from areas that were searched in 2019, has been described by family friends as a devastating but clarifying development for relatives who had spent six years seeking answers. Friends and a retired SAS soldier who helped co-ordinate searches said the remains were found alongside outdoor equipment and what was described as a survival kit; family sources also reported that a green participant T-shirt from a recent endurance event and £100 in bank notes were recovered with the body.
Moray, a keen hillwalker and former Welsh amateur boxing champion, had been living in army-style camouflage clothing and was last captured on CCTV buying a small bottle of water and a lottery game card at a shop in Bro Deg, Cwmbach, at 11:26 a.m. on July 24, 2019, police previously confirmed. His family reported him missing on Aug. 2 that year after he was not seen or heard from for days.
When relatives checked Moray's flat in early August 2019 they found the door unlocked, the television on standby, a PlayStation console running and his mobile phone on charge. Some items normally associated with a prolonged solo trip were missing from the flat, while other personal belongings, cash and food remained, prompting public appeals for information and large volunteer search efforts at the time.
Retired SAS soldier Jason Birch, who helped organise public searches and ran a Facebook group that attracted thousands of volunteers, said the discovery raised lingering questions about Moray's final movements. Birch, who ran events including the Fandance challenge in which Moray had taken part weeks before he vanished, told local media he was "unhappy" that the body was not found earlier and noted apparent inconsistencies such as the presence of a survival kit despite the unsettled circumstances of Moray's departure from his home.
"If there is a suggestion he may have harmed himself, why would he take a survival kit?" Birch said. He added that when he visited the village in 2019 he was doing work he felt the police should have undertaken and that many locals who knew Moray described him as experienced in navigating the Brecon Beacons.
South Wales Police have said they investigated a number of lines of inquiry during the original missing-persons investigation, including whether Moray had been taken from his property, whether he left with an intention to harm himself, whether he had been injured after leaving, or whether he had chosen to live off-grid. Investigators previously appealed for anyone with information to come forward after receiving letters and unconfirmed sighting reports.
One letter received by police shortly after Moray's disappearance claimed the writer had heard someone shouting "If there's anyone out there, help me!" while walking a dog between 2 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. near Moray's home. In September 2020 a member of the public reported seeing a man they believed to be Moray in Stratford-upon-Avon, about 100 miles from his home, but that sighting was not confirmed. Family members also showed police doorbell footage from the period that they believe may have captured Moray, although investigators said face-recognition technology could not be used because the person appeared to have camouflage paint on their face.
Members of Moray's family paid tribute after the identification was confirmed. His brother Josh posted on social media that Moray had been "my best friend" and said the family could now lay him to rest. His mother and other relatives posted messages of gratitude to community volunteers who joined searches over the years and said they were heartbroken but relieved to have some closure.
At the time of his disappearance Moray was described by friends and relatives as physically fit and comfortable walking long distances in mountain terrain. He had taken part in military-style endurance events and was familiar with routes in the national park. The location where his remains were recovered sits next to the A470, a busy route that runs through the Brecon Beacons, and close to popular walking and angling spots; some local walkers have expressed surprise that the remains were not discovered sooner.
South Wales Police have not released further details about the contents of the survival kit reported by family friends or the precise circumstances in which the remains were found, citing the ongoing administrative process with the coroner and the family's privacy. The force said it continues to treat the case with sensitivity and to keep the family informed.
An inquest is expected to be opened to establish the circumstances and cause of death, and the family has urged anyone with information, no matter how small, to contact South Wales Police. The discovery ends a six-year period of uncertainty for Moray's relatives and friends but leaves unanswered questions about why a fit, experienced walker went missing and why his body remained undiscovered for so long.