A BODY has been found in the water during search efforts to find missing man Keano Byrne – who vanished a week ago.
Cops have now launched a murder probe.
The 26-year-old was reported missing from Manchester on March 27, with search efforts quickly being ramped up.
The Gorton man was last seen in the early hours of the day before, walking with another man.
Shortly after Keano was reported missing, police assumed he “may have come to harm” and arrested two men.
The men, aged 26 and 30, have however now been released.
A body was today found in the water in Stockport, but police said formal identification is yet to take place.
Detective Chief Inspector Liz Hopkinson, of Greater Manchester Police’s Major Incident Team, said: “Clearly this is an upsetting time for Keano’s family and they are being kept informed of the ongoing investigation as well as being supported by specialist officers.
“Specialist teams from GMP have been searching for Keano and trying to establish what happened to him since he was reported missing.
“It is early stages of the investigation but we are determined to find out what happened to Keano so his family can have the answers they deserve.
“Formal identification has yet to take place but officers are treating his disappearance as a murder inquiry following information revealed during the investigation into his disappearance.”
The Detective Chief Inspector pleaded with anyone who had information to come forward.
She said: “We are asking for anyone who was in the Reddish Vale area in the early hours of Sunday 26 March between 3:30am and 6:30am, or who may have seen Keano after the time he went missing, to please contact police.
“No matter how small the information may seem, it may help us to piece together what has happened.
“We are looking for CCTV, dashcam footage, images, or any accounts of suspicious behaviour around that date as this will bring us one step closer to finding out what happened to Keano and help us understand the full circumstances.
“Information can be shared by calling GMPs Major Incident team on 0161 856 6377, or by using our LiveChat service on our website www.gmp.police.uk quoting log 762-270323.”
