Dove Stone reservoir death treated as murder
- Published
His father said Mr Wilcox was a "very generous" and had a "great sense of humour"
The death of a man whose body was found in a Greater Manchester reservoir is being treated as murder, police have said.
Craig Wilcox's body was found in Dove Stone Reservoir in February, seven weeks after he was last seen alive.
A post-mortem examination proved inconclusive, but police said inquiries revealed the 28-year-old told a friend he "feared for his safety".
As a result, his death was considered suspicious, a spokesman said.
Mr Wilcox was reported missing after failing to return home following a visit to relatives on Norfolk Crescent in Failsworth on 6 January.
His body was found by an underwater search team in the reservoir near Oldham, on 24 February.
Mr Wilcox's body was found in Dove Stone Reservoir
Det Ch Insp Pete Marsh said it was "totally out of character for Craig to go missing".
"We are trying to piece together his movements from when he went missing in January to when his body was recovered."
Mr Wilcox was of slim build, around 5ft 10in (1.8m) and was wearing a grey hooded top and blue combat trousers when he was last seen.
Mr Marsh said officers were "especially keen" to hear from anyone who saw a man matching his description at the reservoir from 6 January onwards.
Paying tribute to Mr Wilcox, his father said he had been "a very generous lad [with] a great sense of humour".
He said his son had been "positive about the future for the first time in a long time" when he disappeared.
"We are totally devastated that Craig has died; we will never forget him and will keep his memory alive for his son," he said.