RSK geophysicists support cold case investigation with ground survey skills

RSK geophysicists have applied near-ground investigation techniques to the investigation of a missing persons cold case in partnership with the University of Lancashire, Keele University and Locate International.

Specialists from RSK Geosciences and RSK Materials and Structures contributed to the investigation using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and core sampling approaches on the survey site. The techniques are a key part of ground investigation processes and were applied here to improve the understanding of how the technology could be used to investigate missing person cases.

RSK Geosciences Associate Director of Geophysics Stephen Owen said:

“The opportunity to contribute our ground investigation skills to this project has been an eye-opening experience. A team of geophysicists and drillers worked with Keele University and forensic anthropologists and archaeologists at the University of Lancashire to investigate a site of interest in the search of a woman who went missing in the 1960s. Though the team was unable to locate the woman on this occasion, the project has shown the potential opportunities for using these technologies and techniques in this context.”

The practice of geophysics measures different physical properties of the ground to create a 3D image of what lies beneath, Stephen explained. In day-to-day work, this will involve looking for things such as buried foundations, obstructions or voids, buried service cables and pipes, as well as mapping the depth of bedrock. By its nature, it can also be applied to forensic purposes.

The forensic geoscience team at Keele, led by Dr Jamie Pringle, worked with charity Locate International to review publicly available information and identified a housing estate in Manchester as a potential site of interest in this particular case. The Keele team conducted a GPR survey over the foundations of demolished garages, where it found anomalies in the ground and began investigating further.

Stephen explained that conducting two sets of GPR surveys, one by the Keele team and a second by the RSK team, enabled data to be corroborated, building a stronger evidence base. He said:

“We became involved in the project after these initial surveys had taken place. To understand what the GPR had detected, it was proposed to drill and extract samples for analysis. Before this could happen, the RSK Geosciences geophysics team conducted a second series of GPR surveys to identify and map any buried services so that these could be safely worked around during the drilling phase. This process also enabled the findings by Keele to be independently corroborated.”

 

The RSK Materials and Structures team then drilled a series of core samples through the concrete base of the garages to see what was underneath. This process returned interesting findings, which enabled the team to conclude that the area had been used as a rubbish tip during the construction period of the garage foundations and that this was the reason for the GPR results. The return of identifiable objects such as bed springs and shoe heels demonstrated that the approach could be effective in these applications.

The RSK team has worked in partnership with Keele University for a number of years on its geophysics programmes, supporting the delivery of teaching modules and co-authoring papers. Stephen said:

“RSK Geosciences has always had strong links with Keele University and currently has two apprentices on the new flagship Geoscientist Degree Apprenticeship at Keele University, with four more starting in autumn 2026.”

Reader of Forensic Geosciences at Keele University, Dr Jamie Pringle said:

“RSK’s expert involvement has been crucial on this missing person investigation. While we have the academic knowledge and research from controlled studies, RSK’s extensive experience and expert intrusive ground investigations team made a real difference and outcome in this cold case. The victim’s daughter was also present on-site and was extremely grateful for the team’s efforts here.”

Forensic Anthropologist at the University of Lancashire, Dr Allie Stewart coordinated the project and provided anthropological oversight throughout the investigation. She said:

“It was an interesting case. There is not a lot of published work on how to search for human remains under large, undisturbed areas of concrete. We really benefited from working with colleagues from other institutions to come up with the best search strategy possible for a complex site like this.”

 

*All images in this article are credited to Keele University.

For more information, please contact:

Hannah Walker

Communications Manager, RSK Group

hwalker@rsk.co.uk