Corrie McKeague

Case background and investigation

In the early morning hours of September 24, 2016, Corrie McKeague, a 23-year-old RAF gunner based at RAF Honington, went missing after a night out with friends in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England. CCTV footage showed him walking alone through the town center at approximately 3:25 a.m. and entering an area behind a Greggs bakery known as the 'horseshoe' area, which contained large commercial rubbish bins. He was not seen on any camera leaving the area.

Police initially conducted a missing person investigation, searching the town and surrounding areas. The inquiry eventually focused on a garbage collection truck that serviced the bins in the horseshoe area. Records showed the truck had picked up a load significantly heavier than usual that morning—approximately 100 kg heavier—consistent with the weight of a person.

The garbage truck's load was deposited at the Milton landfill in Cambridgeshire. An extensive search of the landfill was conducted over 20 weeks, sifting through thousands of tons of waste. Despite this extraordinary effort, Corrie's remains were not found. The landfill search cost over £1 million.

Suffolk Police concluded that the most likely explanation was that Corrie had climbed into a bin—possibly to sleep, as he was intoxicated—and was collected by the garbage truck and taken to the landfill. His mother, Nicola Urquhart, has publicly questioned this conclusion, pointing to the failure to find remains and other inconsistencies. In March 2022 an inquest jury reached the same conclusion, and Suffolk Police consider the investigation complete unless new credible information emerges.