Bryn Hargreaves news – latest: Body of rugby star found after going missing over one year ago
Bryn Hargreaves was reported missing in January 2022 in the United States, where he lived and worked
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The body of a former British rugby league star has been found more than one year after his disappearance, his family has said.
Bryn Hargreaves was reported missing in January 2022, having failed to arrive for work in Virginia, US, where he lived.
The then 36 year-old’s disappearance sparked a major search led by police and tracker dogs.
His older brother Gareth Hargreaves announced the former player’s death on Facebook 14 months after he was last seen.
The post reads: “RIP Bryn Hargreaves. With incredible sadness, I can confirm after 14 months we have finally found Bryn. We still do not know the cause of death or what actually happened on 3/1/22. Thanks to all those that have helped in the search.”
His mother Maria Andrews said she was “heartbroken” at the news of her son’s death.
“Not something I wanted to be sharing,” she wrote. “I’m in bits #heartbroken my beautiful son Bryn I can’t think of any words to describe the pain xx.”
Body of rugby star found, brother confirms
The brother of missing rugby player Bryn Hargreaves was the first to share news of his body being found.
Mr Hargreaves was reported missing in January 2022, having failed to arrive for work in Virginia, US, where he lived.
Posting to Facebook, Gareth Hargreaves announced the former player’s death on Facebook 14 months after he was last seen.
The post reads: “RIP Bryn Hargreaves. With incredible sadness, I can confirm after 14 months we have finally found Bryn. We still do not know the cause of death or what actually happened on 3/1/22. Thanks to all those that have helped in the search.”
Body of British rugby star Bryn Hargreaves found over a year after he went missing
My colleague Thomas Kingsley has more on the initial reaction to news of Mr Hargreaves’ body being found:
The body of former British rugby league player Bryn Hargreaves has been found more than a year after he went missing, his family has confirmed.
Mr Hargreaves, who was 36 at the time, was reported missing in January 2022 having failed to arrive for work in the West Virginia in the US. His disappearance sparked a major search led by police and tracker dogs.
His older brother, Gareth Hargreaves, announced the former player’s death on Facebook 14 months after he was last seen.
Body of British rugby star Bryn Hargreaves found over a year after he went missing
The former player’s family confirmed the devastating news
‘Heartbroken’ mother pays tribute to ‘beautiful son’
Bryn Hargreaves’ mother has also shared her thoughts following the discovery of her son’s body.
Posting to Facebook, Maria Andrews said she was “heartbroken” by the news.
“Not something I wanted to be sharing,” she wrote. “I’m in bits #heartbroken my beautiful son Bryn I can’t think of any words to describe the pain xx.”
Wigan Warriors share condolences after death of former player
The death of former Rugby League player Bryn Hargreaves has also been confirmed by his club, Wigan Warriors.
His former club tweeted: “Wigan Warriors are saddened to learn of the passing of former player, Bryn Hargreaves. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”
Family explains unusual circumstances of Rugby player’s disappearance
While we wait on more details from police, it remains unclear how Bryn Hargreaves died or where his body was found.
His sudden disappearance and the protracted search for his body left his family in a state of confusion.
Speaking to the PA agency in June 2022, Gareth Hargreaves said: “Bryn had mental health issues and was in severe pain with his back from a car accident in December.
“He’d also been away from his family at Christmas.
“The most likely scenarios were that he decided to harm himself or had decided to disappear for a bit and come back.
“But five months on, those two possibilities look less likely because you’ve got to think a body would turn up.”
He added: “We had his bank account investigated by the police which showed there’s no withdrawals and his wallet and his ID and passport are all still in his apartment so he had no means of access to his cash and no ID to travel.
“So you start to think of the other possibility, that he didn’t plan to go missing and that someone has had some input, through abduction or something along those lines.
“You start to think of all the weird things at the time which start to add up. When the police went around to his apartment, the door was closed but unlocked and the shower was still on.
“And on the night of his disappearance he had ordered a couple of bottles of gin from a mail order firm to be delivered in the next day or two.”
Tributes for Bryn Hargreaves mount
St Helens RFC chairman shares tribute to former player
St Helens RFC, where Bryn Hargreaves was a former playing, said the club would remember him with “genuine warmth and affection.”
Its chairman Eamonn McManus said: “Bryn was extremely well liked and respected by his team mates and all involved with the club during his four seasons with us from 2007 to 2010.
“He was very much part of the great Saints team of that era and was a World Club Challenge winner in 2007 and a Challenge Cup winner in 2008.
“He will be remembered with genuine warmth and with affection by us all.”
What do we know so far about Bryn Hargreaves?
Bryn Hargreaves was born in Wigan and achieved his boyhood dream of playing in the Super League for the Warriors.
He also played for St Helens, where he won the 2008 Challenge Cup, before moving to the United States to work in the oil and gas industry 10 years ago, shortly after his final club, the Bradford Bulls, went bust.
He previously lived in Pittsburgh with his American wife Amy, whom he met in Mexico. After four years they began to live apart and eventually divorced.
Rugby player ‘devastated’ by divorce, say friends
Bryn Hargreaves moved to the United States to work in the oil and gas industry 10 years ago, shortly after his final club, the Bradford Bulls, went bust.
He previously lived in Pittsburgh with his American wife Amy, whom he met in Mexico in 2013. The pair were wed in a ceremony attended by both their families.
After four years they began to live apart and eventually divorced.
Friends of the pair previously told the Mirror that the divorce “must have devastated him” because he was “so happy” when they married.
When the couple split, Bryn moved to West Virginia, but his brother, Gareth Hargreaves, said he was left feeling isolated during the Covid lockdown and suggested he might move back to the UK.
Police confirm reports that Byrn Hargreaves’ body was found
A body found in the search for a missing rugby player has been identified by police as Bryn Hargreaves.
Police have confirmed reports from the British man’s family that his body had been found more than one year after he disappeared.
In a statement, Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office said: “The human remains discovered on February 26, 2023 in Monongalia County, WV have been identified as Bryn Hargreaves.
“Hargreaves, who is originally from England, was reported missing on January 16th, 2022. His last known location was his residence at the Whisper Creek Apartment Complex which is located off of South Pierpont Road, in Monongalia County, WV.
“A large scale search of the Cheat Lake area was conducted by members of the Sheriff’s Department, Morgantown Police/Fire Search and Rescue, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mountaineer Area Rescue Group, MECCA 911, and several individual volunteers’ over a several month period with negative success.
“The Sheriff’s Office is waiting for a completed autopsy report from the WV Office of the Chief Medical Examiner before a cause and manner of death is determined. Once that report is received an updated press release will be made available.”
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