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Artist News
Police confirm death of DJ Derek
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 18 March 2016
Police have confirmed the death of Derek Serpell-Morris, aka DJ Derek, who went missing from his home in Bristol last summer.
Starting out as a reggae DJ in the late 1970s, DJ Derek performed at venues and festivals around the UK until his retirement in 2013 aged 72. He was reported missing by his family in July last year, prompting a nationwide search. Human remains found in woodland near the Cribbs Causeway shopping centre in Bristol last week were yesterday formally confirmed to be those of Serpell-Morris.
“Derek’s family have been updated and our thoughts remain with them at this very difficult time”, said Avon & Somerset Police in a statement. “A post-mortem examination carried out earlier this week was inconclusive and further tests are being progressed, but we’re not treating Derek’s death as suspicious. We’re continuing to carry out further inquiries on behalf of the coroner’s office”.
Derek’s older brother Gerald told the Bristol Post: “I was amazed how much better I felt when the news came through. The last seven months have been a huge strain, not knowing. The whole family has been affected by what has happened. The worst part was not knowing, the uncertainty and the knowledge that you don’t know where he is and that he may never be found. The sense of relief that his body has been found can only be understood by somebody who has been through what we have”.
An event celebrating the life of the DJ is being planned for the end of April, with full details still to be announced.
