Blackpool man pleads guilty to Eddie Forrester’s murder after human remains found in search for missing man

Edward Forrester, 55, was last seen in Seafield Road at 1.30pm on September 1 and was reported missing the following day.

William Wilkinson, of Seafield Road, Blackpool, was later arrested on suspicion of murder on September 5 as the search for Mr Forrester continued.

The 65-year-old was subsequently charged with murder following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service.

Specialist search teams, uniformed officers, detectives, search dogs and officers from Cumbria Police were involved in the search for Mr Forrester.

Lancashire Police were later informed human remains had been found on land off Ashes Lane, Staveley, Kendal on the morning of September 13.

Those remains were later confirmed to be Eddie’s. Subsequent searches found further human remains.

Wilkinson admitted to murdering Mr Forrester after appearing in the dock at Preston Crown Court on Friday (November 17).

He also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

He was remanded into custody to be sentenced at the same court on January 19, 2024.

Det Chief Insp Mark Haworth-Oates, from our Force Major Investigation, said: “William Wilkinson’s plea today is in the face of overwhelming evidence against him.

“Thankfully, his plea will spare Edward Forrester’s family and friends the ordeal of sitting through a trial and listening to the graphic details of how Edward was murdered, and in particular the way in which his body was then dismembered and deposited throughout the Blackpool and Kendal area.

“I hope the guilty plea brings them some small comfort and they will look forward to the case being concluded at sentencing.”