Killer who dumped body parts of Phillip Lewis in Harlow ponds refuses to tell police where they are
A killer who dismembered his victim's body before scattering it in ponds and lakes refused to help police find all the parts so his family could lay him to rest.
Phillip Lewis, known as Scottish Phill, went missing in November 2022 but it was not until New Year's Eve that year that the first of his remains were found at Oakwood Pond in Harlow.
Despite pain-staking, finger-tip searches taking place over many weeks, police have still not been able to recover all of the 59-year-old's body.
As Mr Lewis's former friend Lee Clarke, 56, was jailed for life for murder, with a minimum term of 20 years, Essex Police said the killer had refused to help.
Det Supt Rob Kirby said: "[Phil] lived in Harlow for many years before his life was cruelly cut short at the hands of Clarke.
"Clarke then went on to dismember the body and make several trips to local ponds and lakes to dispose of it piece by piece.
"It's simply incomprehensible how somebody can do that to another human being.
"His actions have meant that despite pain-staking searches over several weeks, we have not been able to recover all of Phil's remains.
"Clarke could have assisted us in order that Phil's family could have laid him to rest properly, but instead he chose to remain silent."
Based on analysis of the phone network, police now believe Mr Lewis was killed on 12 November 2022 but Clarke has still never explained why he murdered a man who was once his friend.
Watch the moment police arrested Lee Clarke for the murder of his friend Phillip Lewis
Following the sentencing at Chelmsford Crown Court, Mr Lewis's son Connor Lewis paid tribute to his "kind, caring and friendly" dad who he said would "never see his grandchild's beautiful smile" or take them to the park.
"I will miss my dad's voice at the end of the phone and our time together. My dad was not only my dad he was my best friend and confident," he said.
"I loved my dad to the moon and back and my life will be empty without 'Pops' in it.
"His body may be gone but my Pops' spirit will always be with me and the family and his good friends."A murder investigation was launched on 31 December 2022 after a member of the public found a "suspicious item" at Oakwood Pond.
Clarke was arrested a few days later and a search of his home found power tools and blood marks splattered across the property.
He tried to claim the blood in his flat was the result of a broken mirror which Mr Lewis helped to clean up.
Det Supt Kirby said: "Clarke thought he could cover his tracks but forensic officers were able to find important evidence without Clarke's flat showing that Phil had been killed there."
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