Bryn Hargreaves’ body was discovered more than a year after he went missing in the United States, according to his distraught brother.
Bryn Hargreaves’ brother announced that the missing rugby league player had been ‘finally found.’
The 36-year-old was reported missing last year after failing to show up for work.
Bryn Hargreaves’ body has been discovered more than a year after he was last seen in America, according to his brother.
The ex-St Helens prop forward, 36, went missing in January of last year after failing to show up for work, sparking a massive police search in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Gareth, his older brother, said his brother was ‘finally found’ 14 months later.
RIP Bryn Hargreaves,’ he said in an emotional Facebook post. With great sadness, I can confirm that we have finally found Bryn after 14 months of searching.
We still don’t know what happened on 3/1/22 or the cause of death. Thank you to everyone who assisted with the search.
Bryn Hargreaves went missing in January of last year after failing to show up for work.
‘We would appreciate a little breathing room and will keep you updated as soon as we have any additional information x.’
Water was leaking into a nearby apartment when police arrived at Bryn’s flat complex outside Morgantown, West Virginia, on January 3, last year.
When they arrived, they discovered his door unlocked and his shower still running, as well as all of his belongings, including his phone and Apple laptop, at the address.
They then launched a manhunt, which yielded no definitive leads, and even a private investigator hired by his family was unable to unearth any ‘concrete’ details.
Maria Andrews, his distraught mother, also posted on social media, saying, ‘Not something I wanted to be sharing. I’m completely heartbroken.
‘Bryn, my lovely son. I’m at a loss for words to describe the pain xx.’
Bryn, who was born in Wigan, Greater Manchester, played 175 Super League games for Wigan Warriors, St Helens, and Bradford Bulls.
He left rugby league at the age of 26 after becoming disillusioned with the game and moved to the United States ten years ago.
He worked in the oil and gas industry and resided in Pittsburgh with his American wife, whom he met while on holiday in Mexico.
When the couple divorced, he moved to West Virginia, but Gareth said Bryn felt isolated during the lockdown and suggested he return to the UK.
Gareth previously stated that the private investigator confirmed Bryn had some mental health issues and had requested permission from local police to search a lake for his body.
However, he claimed that cops would not grant permission for the search, and even though the family had the funds for a private investigation, this prevented them from proceeding.
‘The private investigator said he couldn’t find any concrete evidence for anything,’ Gareth previously stated.
‘But he thought Bryn was in a bad mental state, and he had more evidence to back that up.
‘He thought he was more likely to have committed suicide, which we knew was a possibility.
‘He wanted to search the lake again because he thought the first search had some flaws. But the cops wouldn’t let me.’
Gareth stated that he had personally’struggled’ with not receiving answers about his brother’s whereabouts after he had mysteriously vanished.
And he claimed that there were lines of enquiry that should have been pursued by police shortly after he went missing.
‘His phone has never been accessed, they haven’t been able to,’ he said. To be honest, they never really checked the CCTV, which was a little frustrating.
Following the announcement of Bryn’s death on social media, other friends and family paid tribute to the ‘kind’ and ‘gentle’ sportsman.
‘Heartbroken,’ one relative wrote. My Nephew was a gentle, reserved giant who gave you his right arm.
‘RIP Bryn Hargreaves mi old mate.. tragic all this carry on lately with close friends and mates from growing up and playing rugby with going.. great memory’s as kids.. pisses me right off.. rip mate,’ said another pal.
‘To the entire family, I am so sorry for Bryn’s loss,’ said another friend.
‘The last 14 months have not been easy. Bryn had an impact on everyone he met, and he was adored by so many people.’
The rugby player, who served as best man at Gareth’s wedding in 2018, last communicated with his brothers on January 3.
After his boss at work contacted his family in the UK to see if they’d heard from him, he was reported missing two weeks later.
Bryn, who was born in Wigan, retired from rugby league at the age of 26 after becoming disillusioned with the game and moved to the United States ten years ago.
He worked in the oil and gas industry and resided in Pittsburgh with his American wife, whom he met while on holiday in Mexico.
When the couple divorced, he moved to West Virginia, but Gareth said Bryn felt isolated during lockdown and had suggested returning to the UK.
There has been no determination of the cause of death.
