A post-mortem examination was carried out on the man, who has not yet been named by police but is believed to be in his 20s, after he was found in Cleve Road
Tristan Cork and Emma O’Neill Content Editor
19:37, 12 Apr 2026Updated 19:37, 12 Apr 2026
The cordon is still in place in Filton(Image: Reach PLC/Paul Gillis)
Police have confirmed that a man discovered dead in the back garden of a north Bristol property was killed by multiple stab wounds, as a major murder inquiry presses on.
A post-mortem examination was carried out on Friday on the man, who has yet to be formally identified by police but is believed to be in his 20s.
The initial findings of that post-mortem revealed that the victim died as a result of multiple stab wounds, officers confirmed.
Detectives believe the man was attacked on the evening of Wednesday, April 8, before collapsing and dying in the back garden of a property on Cleve Road in Filton, near the A38, along an alleyway running behind the homes there.
He was found in the early hours of Thursday, April 9, prompting a full-scale murder investigation. On Sunday, April 11, police announced they had made an arrest – a man in his 20s was taken into custody on suspicion of murder in a major breakthrough in the case, reports Bristol Live.
An Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson confirmed the cause of death as stab wounds – making the unnamed man the latest victim in Bristol’s ongoing knife crime crisis.
A forensics tent on Cleve Road.(Image: Paul Gillis / Reach PLC)
“A forensic post-mortem examination was conducted on Friday 10 April. The preliminary findings are the victim died after sustaining a ‘number of stab wounds’,” an Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson said. “Detectives and specialist officers are continuing today to carry out enquiries in the Cleve Road area in connection with this investigation.
“We recognise that does have an impact on the local community and we are grateful for their patience while this important work continues. Uniformed officers are available to speak to any people who have concerns.
“We wish to reiterate our appeal for anyone to come forward who witnessed what happened or has CCTV or dashcam footage covering Cleve Road, or any other streets nearby, from 3pm on Wednesday 8 April to 3am on Thursday 9 April,” he added.
Police confirmed the arrest of a man in relation to the murder investigation on Sunday, 12 April – three days after the man’s body was discovered.
“The victim’s family are aware of the arrest and our thoughts are with them following their devastating loss,” said Det Chief Insp Lucy Edgeworth, of the Major Crime Investigation Team.
“Specially-trained officers are continuing to provide them with support and updates on our ongoing investigation.
“Out of respect to his family, we would ask people not to speculate on the man’s identity, or the wider circumstances around his death. They are continuing to privately grieve at this time, and we would ask that their privacy is respected.
“It has only been a few days since they received the most devastating news imaginable and the formal identification process has not yet been completed,” she added. “A huge amount of work has been carried out by the investigation team and specialist officers in recent days,” she said.
“This includes reviewing many hours of CCTV footage, carrying out forensic enquiries at the scene, conducting detailed searches of the local area and speaking to potential witnesses.
“This has led to an arrest being made and the man remains in custody where he will be questioned under caution.
“While an arrest has been made, we still wish to hear from anyone who has information or footage that may be relevant to our enquiries, even if it may seem trivial to them,” she added.