The case of a missing British father and son who disappeared in Malaga three years ago takes a new turn as police open a double murder investigation
- The pair went missing after traveling to the Costa del Sol for a short trip on the day of 2019
- Father allegedly carrying £20,000 in suitcase which was never found
- Alleged disappearance linked to notorious British gangster
Sussex Police have launched a double murder investigation after a British father and son went missing on Spain’s Costa del Sol three years ago.
The pair had traveled to Spain for a six-day road trip, but have not been heard from since they were last contacted on April 1, 2019, a day after arrival.
The Mirror confirmed yesterday that the disappearances of Daniel Poole, 46, and his son Liam, 22, from Burgess Hill, West Sussex, are being treated as cases of murder.
They were staying at the luxurious Valle Romano Golf & Resort in the seaside town of Estepona so Danny could search for a vacation home to buy.
Daniel Poole (left) and son Liam Poole have been missing since traveling to Spain together in 2019
The pair checked into the Valle Romano hotel before disappearing
Daniel, a father of three who owns a garage, came to the hotel with his son and was last seen at an internet cafe.
His passport and clothes were left in his room and his gray Peugeot 308 car that he had rented was not returned, prompting an international search by both British and Spanish police.
Daniel Poole (left) and his son Liam (right) from Burgess Hill, Sussex, have been missing since 1 April. The couple were staying at the Valle Romano Golf & Resort in the Spanish seaside town of Estepona.
He was reportedly carrying £20,000 worth of cash in a suitcase which was never recovered, with the Mirror saying the pair had links to an illegal drugs gang.
Daniel’s daughter and Liam’s sister Lauryn Poole, 23, told the Mirror on hearing the news of the murder investigation: ‘There was hope but now she’s gone. This has been brought to a whole new level of sadness, and I have really struggled to accept it.’
Liam’s mother and Danielle’s ex-wife Lisa Berwick, 46, said: ‘I knew it from the beginning but it still hurts to hear.’
After the father and son went missing in 2019, British detectives said they believed their plan ‘could have put the pair at risk’.
His disappearance has been linked to that of notorious criminal Kevin Parley, one of Britain’s most wanted men.
In an episode of his BBC podcast Manhunt: Finding Kevin Parle, investigator Peter Blakeslee made an alleged link between the gangster and the missing pair.
‘There is a clear link between the network of criminals who are harboring and funding him (Kevin Parley) and the disappearance of Danny and Liam Poole.
He told the Mirror in 2019, ‘It deserves further investigation – the police need to take it very seriously.’
He added that an informant within the gang had said that Parle was behind the father and son’s disappearance, adding: ‘The source said they were not directly implicating Parle, but told me that “the father of Burgess Hill And the sons would not be seen again.”
‘I later met with my source face-to-face and discussed Danny and Liam. The source told me that the criminal network around Kevin Parle was responsible for his disappearance.
‘I have identified a number of individuals in Parle’s network, some of whom have residential and business addresses on the south coast and in Sussex, not far from where Danny and Liam lived. Everything points to a link between the two cases.
Anyone with any information can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit their website.
