A CORONER has ruled that police made "reasonable, proactive and appropriate enquiries" to find a missing Taunton man who was later found dead in a nature reserve on the edge of the town.

Jack Murphy was reported missing by his mother at 7.50pm on the evening of June 9, 2021.

An inquest heard he was initially graded as a high risk missing person.

But after police went to his home in Taunton, the case was downgraded to medium risk by an inspector, in line with guidance and policies.

The 29-year-old self employed builder's car was found by a family member at 1.20am the following morning in a supermarket loading bay, although that was not reported to the police until three hours later.

Mr Murphy was later found dead in the Wetlands Nature Reserve at Heron Gate.

Senior Somerset coroner Samantha Marsh said Mr Murphy had deliberately taken his own life.

She said: "The evidence shows that reasonable, proactive and appropriate enquiries were made by Avon and Somerset Constabulary to locate Jack.

"On the balance of probabilities an earlier reporting of the location of his vehicle would not have changed the outcome."

Mrs Marsh recorded a suicide conclusion on Mr Murphy, who lived in Westleigh Road, Taunton.

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