A man has been charged with the murder of Phillip Lewis, whose remains were found in Oakwood Pond, Harlow, on New Year’s Eve. Lee Clark, 52, of Wedhey, Harlow, has been charged with murder He is due to appear at Colchester Magistrates’ Court tomorrow, Monday 9 January. A second man, aged 23, had been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. He has been released on bail until March whilst enquiries continue. Detective Superintendent Rob Kirby, head of Essex major crime, said: “Quite clearly this is a significant stage in the investigation into the death of Phillip Lewis. “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 complex investigation into the death of a 59-year-old man who was a son, a father 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.” Det Supt Kirby added: “I would continue to appeal to anyone who came into contact with Phillip in any way since 1 November 2022 to come forward. To date, a number of people have come forward and the information they have provided to us has been invaluable. “Equally, I would like anyone who lives in the areas of Oakwood Pond or the estates coming off Harberts Road, south of Fourth Avenue, and who has CCTV or doorbell video systems to contact us so that we can check it. “We also want to speak to anyone who regularly visits Oakwood Pond and the surrounding area, who has seen anything suspicious in the last two months.” If you have any information, CCTV, dash cam or other footage in relation to this incident, then get in contact with detectives by calling 0800 051 4526.
