Having passed the details on to the RGP and Acting Detective Chief Inspector Adam Edwards at Hampshire Constabulary, who is leading the investigation, a team of officers arrived on the Rock last November to scope out a new search.ĭavid and Margaret Parkes visited Gibraltar last year for a tree planting in their son’s memory. I never expected to come across a new lead, but I really hope my work will bring them the peace they deserve.” I thought a book might offer them some comfort in knowing his story would never be forgotten. She said: “I felt desperately sad for David and Margaret, who have been so brave over the years in their search for answers about their missing son. After embarking on her own extensive investigation, she came across a significant piece of information the police had missed. In 2021, with the trail seemingly having grown cold again, GBC Journalist Ros Astengo decided to write a book about the young naval rating’s disappearance in the hope of keeping his story alive.
He always denied any involvement in his disappearance and in 2001, he was sentenced to life in prison for the double murders of Nicholas and Sion.ĭespite extensive searches on the Rock over the years, Simon’s body has never been found. Under “Operation Thornhill” Hampshire Police discovered Grimson had served on HMS Illustrious at the same time as Simon and was in Gibraltar the night he went missing. The exact day Simon Parkes went missing in Gibraltar. His victims were 18-year-old sailor Nicholas Wright and 20-year-old barman Sion Jenkins, murdered on the same day one year apart – the 12th December. He soon confessed to two brutal killings in 19. However, it wasn’t until December 1999 that the case took an unexpected turn: Gay former Royal Navy Petty Officer, Allan Grimson, who used his position to target young men, had been arrested in Portsmouth. Nothing came of subsequent appeals for information, and his devastated parents, David and Margaret, flew to Gibraltar the following January to try to find out what had happened to their son. Several days later, following extensive searches by army, navy and RGP officials, Simon was declared Absent Without Leave. After spending the day drinking, he left his crewmates at the Horseshoe Pub on Main Street at around 10.30 pm saying he was going to grab a bite to eat before returning to the ship in the Naval Base – a mere 10-minute walk away. He left his passport in his locker, as well as gifts he’d bought for family and friends, before heading into town.
Simon was on shore leave after arriving in Gibraltar on the 12th of December 1986 on board HMS Illustrious. In answer to GBC questions, Hampshire Constabulary said, “The investigation is ongoing and we’re following up lines of enquiry, with the Royal Gibraltar Police acting on our behalf.” The hope is they will finally find the remains of the 18-year-old, who had been desperate to get home to Bristol for Christmas after a long deployment at sea. This is expected to be followed by a full-scale forensic dig in the coming months. The Royal Gibraltar Police has carried out Ground Penetrating Radar scans this weekend at a previously unsearched area of the Rock, based on new information. GBC can exclusively reveal the latest development in the 36-year investigation, which detectives say could be one of the most significant in the entire case’s history. New information has emerged in the case of missing sailor Simon Parkes, who disappeared in Gibraltar in 1986.
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