In late September 1996, a young man checked into a guesthouse on the Kent coast. A few days later, he was found dead there, and despite extensive investigations in the almost three decades since, he has never been identified.

He checked into the Jolly Roger guesthouse on Gordon Road, in Cliftonville, Margate, on 24 September 1996.

What we know:

The owner of the guesthouse reported that the man, who was of apparent Asian origin, arrived with no luggage, only a carrier bag. He was wearing white jeans, a black sweatshirt, and a blue denim jacket. He was believed to have been in his late 20s, 5’8” (173cm) in height, and weighed about 11 stone (70kg). He had a scar on one eyelid.

He gave his name as only ‘Mr Kirasawara’. He is said to have told the owner of the guesthouse that he was Japanese and asked if there were any Japanese restaurants in the area. There were none at the time, and so he visited the local KFC instead.

He was found dead in the bed in his room by the guesthouse owner on 27 September 1996, three days after he checked in. A coroner later recorded a verdict of suicide.

We believe the name Kirasawara may have been misspelt, and could have been Kirasawa, or another variation. However, these are not common Japanese surnames.

To find out more about this case, visit www.locate.international/appeals/margate-man/