Grief-stricken family reported him missing a week before his body was foundZaid Jawad, whose death at Logos House in late December 2025, is being investigated by policeZaid Jawad, whose death at Logos House in late December 2025, is being investigated by police(Image: Jawad family/Bristol Post)

An investigation is underway after a man died at a Bristol homeless shelter and his body was not discovered for a week, despite his family reporting him missing to the charity running the hostel and to the police.

Avon and Somerset police has referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) over the circumstances surrounding the death of Zaid Jawad, whose body was discovered at Logos House, the Salvation Army hostel in Bristol, on Saturday, January 3.

His family said they were shocked to be told Zaid, 40, had actually died in the hostel – in another resident’s room – and that resident continued to live there, coming and going with Zaid’s body in his room, despite hostel staff and police being alerted to his disappearance, for almost a week.

Two men were arrested by Avon and Somerset police, but have since been released on police bail and no one has been charged, as police continue to look into the circumstances of Zaid’s death.

Zaid had been living at Logos House over Christmas, but his two sisters Dina and Tegan reported him missing to the Salvation Army on Sunday, December 28, after they couldn’t contact him. The following day, Monday, December 29, the Salvation Army reported him missing to the police, but it appears the hostel – which houses up to 93 people – wasn’t searched.

It wasn’t until Saturday, January 3 – six days after he was reported missing – that CCTV was checked in more detail and revealed that Zaid hadn’t left the hostel and was last seen going into another resident’s room on the previous Saturday evening, and not coming out.

The room was checked on Saturday afternoon and the grim discovery of Zaid’s body was made – seven days after he was recorded going into the room, and six days after he was reported missing.

Zaid’s family believe he died that Saturday night, and said they were shocked to realise that the resident whose room Zaid died in continued to come and go from his room and didn’t report his death.

Zaid Jawad, whose death at Logos House in late December 2025, is being investigated by policeZaid Jawad, whose death at Logos House in late December 2025, is being investigated by police(Image: Jawad family)

“I believe he died on that Saturday evening, December 27 into the 28th,” said Zaid’s sister Dina. “He wasn’t found until January 3. We’re in complete disbelief that he was there for seven days and no one is taking accountability for it.

“He was left to rot, basically. Because of the length of time he was there, the initial post mortem was not able to tell us why he died. The first we were told that he had been found dead was by phone call, and we were told he’d been murdered. Now they say they don’t know why he died. It’s absolutely shocking,” she added.

“It’s just absolutely awful. To think he was lying there all the time, for a whole week after we reported him missing, and no one even properly looked for him. They just assumed he’d gone off but he was there in their hostel all that time, it’s unbelievable,” she added.

“There’s a feeling that, because of his circumstances, they didn’t take it seriously when he went missing. It’s inhumane. Regardless of the circumstances or how he died, he’s my brother. We had been told they were checking on him three times a day, but afterwards we were told they only do that to only some of the people living there, and they only check everyone’s rooms on a Saturday.

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“We’re very angry – we may never know why he died now,” she added. “All kinds of things go through your mind – we have so many questions. Was he lying there still alive, for how long? Could his life have been saved if they found him quickly? There are questions we fear we may never find out the answers to,” she said.

A spokesperson for the Independent Office of Police Conduct said they were assessing the referral, and no decision had yet been made about whether they would begin an investigation into the conduct of Avon and Somerset police.

“We can confirm we have received a referral from Avon and Somerset Police in relation to this matter,” she said. “We will now assess the referral to determine if any further action may be required.”

What do the police say?

A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset police confirmed: “Detectives are investigating the death of a man after a body was found in the St Judes area of Bristol on Saturday 3 January. At 2.17pm, officers carrying out enquiries as part of a missing person investigation found a man deceased inside a flat in Wade Street.

“While formal identification has yet to be completed, the deceased is believed to be a man aged in his forties. His family have been informed and are being supported by specially-trained family liaison officers. A forensic post-mortem examination was completed on Sunday, but the findings were inconclusive. Further tests are now being carried out to establish the man’s cause of death,” he said.

Logos House, a hostel run by the Salvation Army in St Jude's, BristolLogos House, a hostel run by the Salvation Army in St Jude’s, Bristol(Image: Bristol Post)

Police confirmed that two men, aged 43 and 61, were arrested on Saturday and have since been released on police bail. It is understood one of the men arrested was the man in whose accommodation Zaid was found, and the other is a man who had visited there during the week Zaid’s body was there.

“Our thoughts are with the man’s family at this very difficult time. We are making sure they are supported and will continue to keep them updated,” said Neighbourhood Inspector John Shaddick. “While our investigation is still at an early stage we do believe him to be the person officers were trying to locate as part of the missing person investigation.

“The man was reported missing to the police on Monday December 29, having not returned to his flat since Saturday, December 27. He was found in another flat by officers on Saturday, January 3, after a review of CCTV footage.

“A mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), as is routine in these circumstances,” he added.

A police spokesperson has appealed for information as the inquiries continue. “If you have any information which could help our investigation, please call 101 using reference number 5226001884. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously by calling 0800 555111 or through its website.“

What do the Salvation Army say?

The Salvation Army says Logos House is a ‘Lifehouse’ for men aged over 22, and most of the 93 rooms are en-suite in the complex. “We offer a safe, supportive environment for individuals,” the charity said, adding that everyone in the Lifehouse has a connection with Bristol but is in need of emergency accommodation, all referrals to stay there come from the city council, and typically men stay there between six and 12 months on average.

Bristol Live asked the Salvation Army how it was possible that a man reported missing from Logos House was not found inside the building for a week, and what steps were taken to search the premises.

A spokesperson for the Salvation Army said: “Our team at Logos House Lifehouse are devasted by the death of Zaid and our thoughts are with his family and friends. As there is an active police enquiry underway, it would not be appropriate for us to make any further comment at this time.”

Zaid’s sisters said they wanted a full and proper investigation into the circumstances of their brother’s death, and also a review of what lessons can be learned from the failure to find him. “We want things to change now. We didn’t deserve this, and no other family should be going through this in the future,” she said.