West Yorkshire Police have confirmed that human remains found in a wooded area near Emley, West Yorkshire, are those of Kevin Judge, who had been missing from Wakefield since 2013. The discovery was made off Kiln Lane on 14 January 2026, ending nearly 13 years of uncertainty for his family and the local community.
According to West Yorkshire Police, forensic experts spent several months carrying out tests to identify the remains. Officers have confirmed that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the Lupset resident.
Mr Judge was originally reported missing on 15 April 2013, as noted by the charity Missing People. Following the formal identification, a file is now being prepared for the coroner.
Police investigators worked with a variety of specialists to ensure the identification was accurate. The find concludes a long-running missing person case that had remained open in the district for over a decade.
