🚨 Seven Months After Man Was Found Dead In Busy Ex...

🚨 Seven Months After Man Was Found Dead In Busy Exeter Stairwell, Police Reveal New CCTV Clue—And The Stranger They Desperately Need To Identify

Police Release CCTV in Hunt for Witness After Man Found Dead in Exeter High Street Stairwell

Detectives investigating the unexplained death of a 41-year-old man found in a public stairwell on a busy Exeter high street have released CCTV images of a man they believe may hold vital information.

The victim was discovered on Saturday 10 January 2026 in a stairwell between Taco Bell and Efes Grill on Sidwell Street. Emergency services were called at around 3pm after concerns were raised for his welfare. Despite the efforts of members of the public and paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ongoing Investigation

Devon and Cornwall Police initially treated the death as non-suspicious, but the cause of death has remained unexplained. As enquiries continued, officers arrested a man in his 30s from the Exeter area in connection with the death. He was later released on police bail and remains on bail.

In August 2026, more than seven months after the discovery, police issued a fresh appeal and released CCTV footage of another man they are seeking to identify. Officers believe this individual may have been a witness and could provide crucial information about the events surrounding the death.

Police Appeal

A force statement said: “Emergency services were called to Sidwell Street at around 3pm on Saturday 10 January. Concern had been raised for the welfare of a 41-year-old man who was found in a public stairwell between Efes Grill and Taco Bell. He died at the scene despite the best efforts of members of the public and paramedics.

“Investigating officers would like to identify the man pictured as they believe he may have information as a witness. As part of the investigation, a man aged in his 30s from the Exeter area was arrested in connection with the death and remains on police bail.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or via the force website, quoting reference number 50260007677.

A Busy City Centre Location

Sidwell Street is a well-used thoroughfare in Exeter city centre, lined with shops, takeaways and other businesses. The stairwell where the man was found sits between two popular food outlets and is accessible to the public. The presence of members of the public who attempted to help before paramedics arrived underscores how exposed the location is.

Detective Inspector Michelle Westlake previously appealed for witnesses who were in the area between approximately 1.15pm and 3.15pm on the day of the death. Officers are particularly interested in any CCTV, dashcam or mobile phone footage from the surrounding streets and the stairwell itself.

Unanswered Questions

The fact that the cause of death remains unascertained more than half a year later has kept the investigation open. While a man has been arrested and bailed, police have not released details of the grounds for that arrest or the nature of any suspected involvement. The release of the new CCTV image suggests detectives still require additional witness evidence to build a clearer picture of what happened in the stairwell that afternoon.

The deceased man’s next of kin were informed shortly after the discovery. For the family, the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the circumstances of his death will have been particularly difficult.

Continued Enquiries

Unexplained deaths in public places often present significant investigative challenges. Without immediate evidence of violence or obvious medical emergency, officers must piece together the final hours of the person’s life through witness accounts, CCTV, and forensic examination. In this case, the combination of an open stairwell on a busy street and the delayed establishment of a cause of death has extended the timeline of the inquiry.

Police continue to urge anyone who was in the Sidwell Street area on the afternoon of 10 January, or who recognises the man shown in the newly released CCTV, to come forward. Even small pieces of information about movements, conversations or the condition of the man before he was found could prove significant.

As the investigation continues, the focus remains on identifying the potential witness and establishing exactly how the 41-year-old came to die in a public stairwell in the heart of Exeter.