Man charges after remains of Phillip Lewis found in Harlow pond

• Lee Clark, 52, of Wedhey, Harlow, has been charged with murder.
• Remains of Phillip Lewis, 59, were discovered in a pond on New Year’s Eve.
• A 23-year-old arrested on suspicion of plotting a murder has been freed on bail.

After Phillip Lewis remains were discovered in a pond on New Year’s Eve, a man has been charged with murder.

Lee Clark, 52, of Wedhey, Harlow, is charged with murdering Phillip Lewis, 59, a local whose bones were found in Oakwood Pond. Lewis lived in the town.

According to Essex Police, a 23-year-old male who was detained on suspicion of plotting a murder has been freed on bail while investigations were ongoing.

On Monday in Colchester, Mr. Clark is scheduled to appear before the magistrates.

Det Supt Rob Kirby, the force’s head of major crime, said the charge was a “significant stage” in the investigation but called for anyone who had come into contact with Mr. Lewis, who was known as “Scottish Phil”, since 1 November to come forward.

“To date, a number of people have come forward and the information they have provided to us has been invaluable,” he said.

Additionally, the investigator requested that anyone with a CCTV or doorbell video system who resides in the Oakwood Pond or the estates off of Harberts Road, south of Fourth Avenue, get in touch with them so that the footage can be reviewed.

Officers are particularly interested in speaking with any frequent visitors to Oakwood Pond and the neighborhood who may have noticed “something strange in the recent two months.”

He said: “Over the last eight days, we have had a team of dedicated detectives and forensic experts who have pieced together what we believe to be the circumstances around Phillip’s death.

“Of course, that work does not stop at the point of charge and in many ways, this is still the beginning of a complex investigation into the death of a 59-year-old man who was a son and a friend.

“One element of that work continues today as, alongside our partners, we continue to drain Oakwood Pond to allow for further investigation of the area to take place.

“This is being done in the most environmentally friendly way possible and I’d like to pass on my thanks to partners for helping to facilitate this.”

The police department has established an information submission platform for large incidents and a special phone number.

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