The victim was reported as missing for nine weeks prior to the discovery of his body, and while police had checked the garage, they did not pursue the matter thoroughly since they found it locked.
The examination of the crime scene further revealed the presence of extensive blood splatter to the height of several feet, which meant that the man had been murdered in the same location.
Among the papers that were found was a reply to an advertisement for local agents, signed "William F. Thomas", which the killer had attempted to obscure by pouring oil over it and stamping it repeatedly into the earth.
In pursuing this lead the police were able to discover that a man of that name had worked for a Wiltshire building contractor and had disappeared after allegedly absconding with a large number of wage packets.
It was determined that Podmore did indeed work as Messiter's assistant, but as the police still did not have enough evidence for him to be charged with murder, he was convicted of fraud and sentenced to six months in prison.