Police Scotland closes active probe into 1998 disappearance of Glenrothes teen Kenneth Jones
Police Scotland has ended its active inquiry into the 1998 disappearance of Kenneth Jones, 18, from Glenrothes, Fife, after a reinvestigation found nothing conclusive.
Active inquiry into Fife disappearance closed after 27 years
Police Scotland has concluded its active inquiry into the disappearance of 18-year-old Kenneth Jones, who was last seen at his family home in Ancrum Court, Glenrothes, at around 22:30 on 2 November 1998, bbc.com reports.
Jones, described as a white male standing 6ft 2in with short dark brown hair, is believed to have left the property at approximately 07:30 the following morning. He was not reported missing until a day later. He would now be 46 years old.
An extensive search was launched at the time, but Jones has never been found and no one has ever been arrested in connection with his disappearance.
Police Scotland's major investigation team reopened the case in 2024, citing "unanswered questions" and issuing a fresh appeal for information. In February of this year, detectives returned to the family home equipped with a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) device, which uses electromagnetic waves to map subsurface ground. Following a scan that revealed an "anomaly", officers returned in April to excavate the patio — but nothing significant was uncovered.
Officers have now brought the active phase of the inquiry to a close, though they said they continue to assess material gathered during the review.
Detective Inspector Jonathan Pleasance said: "We remain committed to establishing the full circumstances of what happened to Kenneth. Our active inquiry has now concluded, and we are assessing material gathered during the review of the case." He added that Kenneth's family had been informed of the development.
Police Scotland nonetheless asked anyone with information on Jones's whereabouts to come forward. At the time of his disappearance he was wearing a black leather zip-up jacket, black jeans, and yellow and green trainers.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)