The body of former Wigan Warriors rugby star Bryan Hargreaves was found more than a year after he went missing in the U.S., according to an update from his brother shared Sunday.
Hargreaves, 37, moved to the U.S. more than a decade ago, and was reported missing from his home in West Virginia in January 2022, according to the BBC. He last spoke to his family on Jan. 3, nine days before they contacted local law enforcement to say they couldn’t get ahold of him.
His family flew to West Virginia in late January and spent seven weeks searching for the former prop, largely supported by the Rugby League Cares program, according to a GoFundMe page set up by Hargreaves’ brother, Gareth. When neither his family nor local law enforcement were able to uncover any leads on Hargreaves’ more than five months after his disappearance, the family employed a private investigator to carry on the search.
Hargreaves’ brother wrote that he’d suffered from unfortunate life events and had become isolated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With incredible sadness I can confirm after 14 months we have finally found Bryn,” Gareth wrote on Facebook Sunday. “We still do not know the cause of death or what actually happened on 3/1/22. Thanks to all those that have helped in the search. We would appreciate a little space and will keep you updated when we have any further information.” (RELATED: College Linebacker Luke Knox, Brother Of NFL Player Dawson Knox, Dead At 22)
Tributes have poured out to Hargreaves online, including from the Rugby League, the Bradford Bulls, and the Wigan Warriors. Hargreaves was working for the oil and gas industry when he disappeared from his apartment, Sky News reported.