Men missing on a night out: Exploring the geography of fatal disappearances to inform search strategies.

Data were collected on 96 cases of men who were reported missing following a night out and were later found deceased, which occurred between 1 January 2010 and 31 August 2015. Cases were identified contemporaneously from monitoring national, regional and local online media outlets, and through consultation with police forces via the UK Missing Persons Unit.

This study examines the characteristics of cases where men are found deceased having been reported missing following a night out. The study aimed to assess the risk of fatality in these cases and inform the development of search strategies.

The risk of fatality in missing on a night out cases is comparatively high, estimated to be 9% regardless of duration. If a man remains missing for more than 3 days almost all cases will result in fatality.

The bodies of 85 (89 per cent) of the missing men were found in water , with just 11 cases (11 per cent) resulting in the body of the missing person being found on land. This finding has clear implications for the police response.