The Mysterious Death of Jeffrey Hodgson on the island of Ibiza

December 29, 2019 StrangeOutdoors

Jeff Hodgson, disappeared Sunday, July 8, 2001. Remains Found October 16, 2002, Cala Llonga, Ibiza.

Revised July 2024

Jeffrey “Jeff” Hodgson, from Stockport in the U.K., was 38 years of age but with a mental age of eight when he mysteriously disappeared from the resort of Cala Llonga on the island of Ibiza on Sunday, July 8, 2001. When Jeffrey’s body was found over a year later, it should have been an end to a tragic story for his family, but it turned out to be just the beginning.

How did Jeff end up on an isolated hillside, many miles from where he disappeared, without water, in the heat of the summer? His clothes were undamaged despite the dense vegetation in the area. It was almost like he was dropped there. The official inquest in 2004, which took part in the U.K., delivered an open verdict as no official cause of death could be established. Years later, no further clues have been found to explain the mystery.

The Hodgson Family visit to the island of Ibiza off the coast of Spain

Jeff vanished whilst his parents, Beryl and Derek Hodgson, checked into the Sirenis Playa Hotel in the resort of Ibiza.

Ibiza is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of Spain. It is 93 miles (150 kilometers) from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain.

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Jeffrey was 5ft 7in tall, medium build, weighing 170lbs. He had dark brown hair, receding and greying at the temples, with blue eyes. He was taking medication for an epilepsy condition.

On the day he disappeared he was wearing a white Stockport County football shirt over a yellow and blue, small check, short-sleeved cotton shirt with a collar. He was also wearing dark blue, long trousers (pants) and black leather shoes with velcro fastenings. His walk was awkward, often with his head bowed, with a lopsided gait and sometimes he mumbled to himself.

He was very gullible and loved people and groups. He would happily talk to anyone who wished to talk to him. He was a "man of routine" who was "excitable, lively and loved being around people. He could become distracted and act on that impulse."

On October 16, 2002, 15 months after he disappeared from the hotel, Jeff’s remains were found by tourists who were climbing a remote headland cliff near Cala Llonga.

In July 2004, the Coroner in Stockport, England, declared an “open verdict”, reinforcing the mysterious circumstances of his disappearance and tragic end. An open verdict is an option available to a coroner's jury at an inquest in the legal system of England and Wales. The verdict means the jury confirms the death is suspicious but is unable to reach any other verdicts open to them.

Jeffrey Hodgson timeline

The timeline below outlines the events from the family’s arrival in Cala Llonga and the subsequent search for Jeff by his friends and family.

July 2001

On Sunday, July 8th,2001, Beryl and Derek Hodgson checked into the Sirenis Playa Hotel in the resort in Ibiza with Jeffrey.

Beryl, 62, said: "He had what we would call a Jeffrey tantrum. We gave him the option to stay where he was or go with us into the hotel, but he decided to stay put. The last time I saw him, he was pacing around outside."

The Hodgson’s quickly realized that Jeff had disappeared from outside the hotel.

Jeffrey had refused to leave bed on the morning he was due to fly out to Ibiza. He had done the same the previous year before a holiday to Spain, which he enjoyed. But after deciding to stay with his sister, he changed his mind and met his parents at Manchester airport. But when he arrived at the hotel, his behaviour had deteriorated, and he became "very angry". Beryl said: "He really wanted to go away. At no point did we force Jeffrey to come away with us."

Since the Spanish police could only be informed of a missing person after 24 hours, Beryl & Derek, along with holidaymakers and staff at the Sirenis Playa Hotel and the travel agent Panorama Travel, frantically searched the resort. Miranda Smith, head rep for travel firm Panorama, co-ordinated a huge search the next day involving 100 holidaymakers, reps and locals.

After this, the police started a formal search of the area with no luck.

Sirenis Playa Hotel

The British Consulate and Foreign Office assisted where they could, but they had no direct jurisdiction in Spain and relied on local officials.

The last reported sighting of Jeffrey was between 11.30 pm and midnight on July 8 when a holidaymaker saw him sitting on a nearby wall.

A few days later, following pressure from the family, the police were persuaded to use a helicopter, some army cadet troops, and a sniffer dog. Despite several reported sightings of Jeffrey, their attempts to get an intensive search renewed by the Spanish and British Governments failed. After only three days, the Spanish authorities stopped the search for Jeff.

But the family did not want to give up. Jeff’s parents were joined in Ibiza by his sister Janet, her husband Andy and brothers David and Steven. They continued the search and handed out hundreds of leaflets around the island.

Beryl & Derek Hodgson

Hopes were raised even further when K9, the Yorkshire, U.K.-based search and rescue team, arrived on the island with two specially trained dogs on Thursday, July 19, 2001. They undertook a detailed search of the resort and its immediate area. K9 carried on the search into the weekend using trail bikes to search the rough ground at the side of the roads leading out of the resort, and divers checked out water wells in the area. The team also explored the immediate coastline by boat, but no traces of Jeffrey were found.

On Sunday, 22 July 2001, two weeks after Jeff’s disappearance, the family decided to return home to Stockport. When they returned to the U.K., they were interviewed by national BBC TV and radio as well as local radio and press.

As there was no evidence that a crime had been committed, Jeffrey's family and friends had to take the initiative and ensure the search went on. The police assumed Jeff had just wandered off and may have started a new life. Unlikely given his mental age, and when he went missing, he had no money, identification, or medication. Jeffrey was a child in a man's body and was vulnerable. He needed daily care and attention from his family, and they assumed immediately that he had either got lost or had been abducted.

August 2001

Jeffrey's parents returned to Ibiza accompanied by the BBC "Close Up North" team to film a documentary broadcast on British Television on October 4, 2001. In addition, an appeal was broadcast on Spanish television.

September 2001

The family returned to Ibiza to resume the search and were accompanied by a camera crew from the TV program Holiday Airline.

October 2001

Following the broadcast of the "Close Up North" documentary, John Fitzpatrick contacted Jeff’s parents and the group Family and Friends of Jeffrey (FFOJ) was formally formed. A team of volunteers visited Ibiza to continue the search and distribute further flyers to maintain publicity.

November 2001

On 5th November, Jeffrey's parents appeared on BBC's Crimewatch Daily program. Further visits were made to Ibiza were made by the family to continue the search.

December 2001

A Majorca-based private investigation agency, Jose Mabeca, volunteered to assist in the search. A major fundraiser was held by FFOJ at the Britannia Hotel in Stockport, raising over £2,000 ($3000).

January 2002

The fundraising efforts of FFOJ continued to ensure that sufficient funds were available for the search. A £1,000 ($1,500) reward was offered by Jeffrey's Aunt and Uncle, Audrey & Bob, for information that leads to Jeffrey's safe return to Stockport alive & well.

February 2002

A photo-fit picture of Jeffrey's appearance with a beard was added to the leaflets being distributed in Ibiza.

Fresh coverage of the search by the Stockport Times coincided with further visits to Ibiza to continue the search.

March 2002

FFOJ distributed new color leaflets prior to the main holiday season, and holidaymakers planning to visit Ibiza were urged to download a copy of the leaflet and take it with them on their trips.

April 2002

A Spanish-speaking Stockport businessman, Salvador Gomez, offered his assistance to help FFOJ.
Jeffrey's parents and Salvador visited Ibiza and had a very positive meeting with the local police, who said they were hopeful about finding Jeffrey. The police considered that he may have been in the island's interior, which is quite remote and has little contact with the coastal areas where tourism is the primary industry.
A body was found on the island, but DNA samples and dental record checks confirmed it was not Jeff.

June 2002

All thirty-two Spanish churches in Ibiza agreed to display posters.
CHAT Magazine, which was now covering the story, offered a £10,000 reward for information leading to Jeffrey's return.

July 2002

Jeffrey's parents returned to Ibiza, marking the anniversary of his disappearance. The BBC Radio 4 show "You and Yours" covered the story. The Spanish Costa Blanca News did a detailed story on the disappearance.

August 2002

FFOJ formed an action group to better coordinate efforts and the resources available for the search. Many possible sightings had been investigated, and over a dozen visits to Ibiza were conducted in the search. A significant hope was that as people returned to Ibiza for the summer to work or holiday, new information would emerge that would lead to Jeffrey's being found.

October 16, 2002

The news came in from Ibiza via the British Foreign Office in the early hours of the morning that the body of a man, with clothes matching those that Jeffrey was wearing at the time of his disappearance, had been found on a remote headland hillside near Cala Llonga.
Jeffrey’s body was discovered by two German climbers walking in a thickly wooded clifftop area. It was just a few miles from the hotel where he went missing.
The Spanish police told the devastated family that Jeffrey must have found his way to the remote spot. His death was a tragic accident rather than anything suspicious.
Initial identifications by dental records seemed to confirm that it was him and that he had been there since his disappearance. DNA testing would take some days to complete.

November 30, 2002

Six weeks after the remains were discovered, it was confirmed by the Foreign Office that the Spanish authorities had completed the DNA testing and had confirmed that it was Jeffrey.

December 20, 2002

The family flew out to Ibiza on Sunday, December 15, and Jeff’s remains were finally returned to Stockport following an emotional trip.
A frank and open meeting was held with the Consulate on Monday, December 16, who arranged a meeting with the Spanish Police the following day. At the family's specific request, the meeting with the Spanish Police on Tuesday was preceded by a visit to the precise spot where Jeffrey had been found.
It was the belief of the Spanish Police that, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, Jeffrey made his own way to the spot where he had eventually been found. This was also the view of the Greater Manchester Police involved in the investigation. However, the family wanted to retrace Jeffrey's steps and confirm the police theory.
Following this visit, it became apparent to all those who knew him that there was no way that Jeffrey could have reached the lonely spot where his body was found unaided, and there was no way he would have wanted to go there anyway. The easiest way to get to the spot is by boat.

January 2003

On January 15, 2003, Jeffrey`s funeral was held at St. Matthews Church Edgeley with a crowded congregation and hundreds of mourners outside.

September 2003

In September 2003, Beryl and Derek returned to Ibiza with other members of the FFOJ. Jeff’s apparent walk to the spot where his remains were found was once again retraced, but this time to take photos and record videos for the forthcoming inquest in the UK.
At this time, the cream-colored camper van belonging to a travelling British entertainer, which had been seen in the early days of the search, was also spotted parked in a car park at the foot of the pathway up the mountain headland where Jeffrey was found. An experienced walker and a retired parachute regiment member participated in the four-hour walk. The many thorn bushes on the hillside severely scratched and cut them, and even with water, they had to take frequent rests in the heat of the September day. When Jeff disappeared in July, it would have been even hotter, at over 40°C or 104°F.
It must be remembered that Jeffrey supposedly went to the hillside spot without water. When he was found, his clothes were untouched and in perfect condition.
The following day, the group were taken around the headland by boat, a much easier trip than on foot.
On their return to England, the BBC ran a documentary using this footage again, concluding that the circumstances surrounding his arrival on this headland were extraordinary.

July 2004

On July 20, 2004, Jeffrey`s inquest into his death was heard by the coroner, John Pollard, in Stockport, England. Evidence was heard from the Spanish Police and Greater Manchester Police, who stuck to their theory of possible misadventure. However, in the light of the overwhelming evidence from the family in the form of photographs and video evidence taken in September 2003, together with the resulting BBC documentary, the coroner declared an open verdict.
This verdict confirmed the death is suspicious, but the coroner is unable to reach any other verdicts open to them. The majority of open verdicts are recorded in cases of suicide where the intent of the deceased could not be proved, although the verdict is recorded in many other circumstances. Current legal guidance is to avoid open verdicts if possible, only to be used as the last resort if insufficient evidence enables the coroner or the jury to reach any other conclusions.

What happened to Jeffrey Hodgson?

How did Jeffrey come to be all alone in a remote headland visited only by mountaineers?

Beryl Hodgson said, "Jeffrey was never searched for as a child, and that’s exactly what he was in his mind. He was a man in his body but a child in his mind. We realised that if nobody else was going to be searching, we needed to do it."

Derek said, "It's been a bit like a do-it-yourself search right from the beginning with no assistance, hardly from the police and the authorities. “

The family finds it hard to believe that Jeffrey could have climbed up the rough, rocky track and begun a steep descent down the mountainside through thick scrubland. Derek said, "He’s handicapped. He’d no coordination with his hands and his feet as such." "He couldn’t get up the stairs at Maine Road (the Football ground for Manchester City) when I used to take him to the football without me having to support him."

Derek, Jeffrey and Beryl Hodgson

Instead of grieving for him, Jeffrey’s family tried to solve the mystery. Derek said, "We were led to believe there were no specs of blood on him. When we came back, our legs were cut to ribbons. We had gashes and cuts all over us and pine needles sticking out of our trainers and clothing.” Beryl said, "His Stockport County shirt, which is a silky shirt, would be pulled all over it, and it isn't."

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