A man has told Sky News how he joked with people struggling with a heavy suitcase whether it contained a body – which was later found to contain human remains.
Giles Malone has spoken of his horror following the grisly discovery on Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, describing it as “sickening and chilling”.
The 61-year-old also recounted how those involved in moving the two suitcases, which were “bursting at the seams”, had acted casually, been in no hurry and even “chuckled” at times.
Mr Malone and his wife Alison became unwitting witnesses to the dumping of the remains late on Wednesday night.
The couple, who live in Florida, had been in Clifton to visit Mr Malone’s father Roger.
They had just watched England’s semi-final victory over the Netherlands and were waiting for an Uber cab feeling “very happy” near The Mall pub, a short distance from the bridge.
Mr Malone said: “After a few minutes we noticed a man and another man – a black man and a white man – carrying a suitcase across the street right towards us.
“They were struggling with the weight of it. I actually thought they might drop it in the middle of the road.
“I thought about going to help them, but something made me stop.
“And so they came over and put the suitcase right by our feet.
“I said to them – ‘That looks really heavy, what have you got in there, a body?’ – jokingly like you do.
“We were feeling good, happy, so I made a joke and they didn’t reply.
“Then they just left it by us and they walked back across the street.
“I did notice a car across the street with the boot open.”
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What we know so far
‘All three of them were struggling’
Mr Malone added: “Then they came back across the street with a third person, which was a female about the same age – 25 to 35 – white, female, blond hair with a ponytail.
“And she must have heard what I said because she said ‘These are the heaviest suitcases I have ever lifted I suppose there could be a body in there’.”
Referring to the second suitcase, Mr Malone said: “She was helping them lift it. All three of them were struggling with it.”
He added: “The suitcases were real tatty, really beaten up and had straps around them like in a criss-cross.
“They were maxed out, it was like they were bursting at the seams.”
When his Uber cab arrived, the three had moved to get into it but Mr Malone pointed out it was his.
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‘They didn’t seem in a hurry’
It was only the next day when they went back to see his father and found the bridge closed when it dawned on them what they had seen and contacted the police.
Mr Malone said: “When it started to sink in what happened it’s sickening really, and chilling and horrific.
“We are praying for the families [of] whoever is involved because it’s just horrible. We are in shock really to be honest.”
Recalling the people’s behaviour, he said: “They were sort of causal about it. They were very nonchalant. They didn’t really seem nervous or in a hurry.
“They were pretty casual and they even chuckled I think a couple of times when we made comments.”
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‘We don’t think it’s the same person as TV appeal’
Police are continuing to search for a suspect following the discovery of the human remains.
The force has released a number of images showing a black man with a beard, wearing a black Adidas baseball cap, black jeans, a black jacket and black trainers with thick white soles and carrying a black backpack.
But Mr Malone did not believe he was among the group they had spoken to.
He said: “We don’t think it’s the same person we saw.
“The black male didn’t have a beard, he was clean shaven. The man in the image on TV had a beard. Plus it seemed like hew was dressed differently.”
Police have confirmed a forensic post-mortem examination on the remains, which began on Thursday, continued on Friday.
Officers have been in contact with the family of missing man Jack O’Sullivan to “inform them of the incident” but said “no parallels are actively being drawn”.
The 23-year-old was last seen on 2 March.
Clifton Suspension Bridge reopened late on Thursday after council cleaning teams had attended the scene.
The Grade I listed landmark, which spans the Avon Gorge, was designed by noted Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel and opened in 1864.
