Theories emerged that Nettles fell into the sea following his night out, but his mother dismisses these assumptions. She is convinced he suffered at the hands of a drugs gang. She revealed that in spite of Cowes’s upscale reputation, there are people there associated in supplying others with drugs. [13] Connor, Laura (9 August 2016). "Detectives probing missing 16-year-old Damien Nettles mystery break silence after watching BBC documentary". Mirror . Retrieved 16 February 2022.

a b Munro, Bronagh (25 July 2016). "What happened to Damien Nettles? Unsolved case of teenager missing for 20 years is BBC's Making A Murderer". Mirror . Retrieved 14 February 2022. Jodelka, Filipa (23 July 2016). "Unsolved: The Boy Who Disappeared – the bitesized answer to Serial". The Guardian . Retrieved 26 March 2022.

a b c Morcom, Jess (26 July 2020). "The unsolved mystery of Damien Nettles, who's not been seen in 24 years". Hampshire Live . Retrieved 2 March 2022. Playing at a lower level was no real challenge for Tommy’s exceptional talents and he scored runs with ease. The following week, Tommy was in the firsts to play at a standard far more suited to his ability. This, unfortunately, was to be his last game.

He described Mr Brazier as a common, broken-down drug addict who barely ate or slept — not a vicious killer. Toogood, Darren (2 November 2021). "25 YEARS ON: MYSTERY REMAINS AROUND THE DISAPPEARANCE OF DAMIEN NETTLES". Island Echo . Retrieved 23 February 2022.

It has been claimed that Nettles’ mother has conveyed how disheartened she’d found herself, because of the police’s management of the case. Evidence ended up being mislaid, along with records failing to be kept, resulting in any possible progression of the case being hindered. The call log made to police on the night of Nettles’ disappearance no longer exists, and the records detailing which officers were on duty that night were lost. However, the case remains open. [4] Other criticisms towards the handling of the investigation include requests made to commence searches both on land and from the air, being rejected, and the error made by police who initially listed Nettles as a missing adult rather than a missing child. [8] Members of the public campaigned by protesting and participating in a march. Their aim was to convince police to dig at Parkhurst Forest and Gurnard, as claims were made that Nettles’ remains may be buried there. However, police declined this request, as they believed the claims made to them came from untrustworthy sources. [12] In spite of the many investigations conducted, plenty of campaigning, and production of documentaries seeking a resolution, Nettles’ whereabouts still remains a mystery. [8] See also [ edit ] Crimestoppers also offers a 100 per cent anonymous service, if you would rather provide information that way. On 25 July 2016, a BBC Three series, Unsolved: The Boy Who Disappeared, was broadcast about the case. [11] If you have any concerns or anything which may assist our investigation, then please do not hesitate to speak with them.

Numerous people who witnessed Nettles on the night of his disappearance alleged he looked as though he could’ve been heavily drunk and possibly somewhat confused. Another allegation was made that a drug dealer by the name of Bunny Iles had sold drugs to Nettles. A previous girlfriend of Nettles, Abbie Scott, revealed she believed there were some aspects of his life he was keeping secret, and went on to say it could have involved drugs, although she wasn’t entirely sure. [4] However, it wasn't possible to completely verify all witness statements from the night of Nettles’ disappearance, as some of the CCTV footage from the High Street that could've featured him, was claimed to be lost by police. [7]Our thoughts are with the man’s family today and we are working hard to understand the exact circumstances of what happened last night. Nettles, Valerie (5 September 2019). The Boy Who Disappeared. Kings Road Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78946-093-3. Mr Hughes said there were of course bit-players in this tale, but it was a two-horse race between Mr Brazier and this other man, and the latter won hands down on motive and character. A witness remembers that Nettles was attempting to open the car doors of a blue Ford Fiesta. This person recalls it being somewhere around 23:15 and claims it took place in the Harbour Lights pub car park. After this, another witness placed Nettles at a bus stop near one of The Co-operative Group supermarkets. He entered a bus here, but exited shortly after talking to the driver. It was alleged that he had tried to take the driver's picture with the camera he had on him. He was said to have thanked the driver at the time of exiting the bus. [4] A third witness was waiting in their car for their child to be dropped off by a different bus. Whilst waiting, they claim a person matching Nettles description was eating chips, nestled together with his arms and legs close to his body. The witness then claims the figure approached him, saying “They are watching us”, before clearing rain off the car window and walking off towards the High Street. [5] Investigation [ edit ] Various other rumours have transpired over the years, but the one involving McNamara is one that has persisted. McNamara died in 2002 of a heroin overdose, and it was then that rumours surfaced suggesting he was involved. It was claimed that McNamara made a deathbed confession regarding his involvement in Nettles' disappearance. [4]