Man Believed to Have Been Murdered Found Alive in Woods After 5 Years

A Lithuanian man who was feared murdered in Britain five years ago has been found living in the woods 17 miles away from the last place he was seen, according to police.

Ricardas Puisys, now 40, was spotted working for a fruit and vegetable producer in Cambridgeshire on September 26, 2015 before never showing up for work again.

As his whereabouts went unknown, a murder investigation was launched and a man was arrested on suspicion of Ricardas' murder at the time, per the BBC. The man was later released without charge.

On Monday, authorities said they had found Ricardas alive on July 1 and had delayed announcing the news "to ensure he remains safe, but also to ensure he gets the support he needs after having lived through extremely difficult circumstances during the last five or more years," according to a statement by Detective Chief Inspector Rob Hall of the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit.

“Following a search of wooded area in Harecroft Road, Ricardas was eventually found living in undergrowth, very well concealed after having deliberately hidden and having not spoken with anyone for some time."

Reports of a Facebook page set up by Ricardas back in November of 2019 eventually led the police to discovering he was alive, as well as his whereabouts.

"For almost five years Ricardas' disappearance has been a complete mystery. That was until we received information at the end of June which led us to finding him," Hall explained.

"A team of investigators worked tirelessly following up a number of inquiries, none leading to the discovery of Ricardas," he added. "That was until we received information that Ricardas may have been alive and still in the Wisbech area."

Police now believe Ricardas went into hiding to avoid being exploited.

"There were genuine concerns Ricardas came to harm that evening -- but we now believe Ricardas made the decision to run away as he had been a victim of crime, having previously been subject to exploitation."

Hall said an investigation into exploitation of Ricardas has been launched.