Tribute Paid to Man Found Dead on Southampton Common
A tribute has been paid to a man whose body was discovered on Southampton Common on the afternoon of Wednesday, 8 October.
Police confirmed the body of Ernest Konrad Deputat, aged 45, was located in a wooded area close to the wildlife reserve in the centre of the Common — north of the Ornamental Lake and to the right of Green Path.
His family, who are being supported by specialist officers, have released a heartfelt tribute to him.
They said:
“Ernest, you were a modest, but dream-filled brother and son. Every meeting with you was unforgettable.
“Your smile, accompanying humour and the lightness, with which you conducted the conversation, made people want to be with you.
“The whole family always missed you and were waiting for you, waiting for your arrival.
“You chose the life you wanted; you were both the ship and the captain for yourself.
“Be happy now. We thank you for all the fulfilled moments, for every phone call, for every sign that you remembered us. See you soon, your Family.
“We ask that people please respect our privacy at this time and refrain from contacting us.
“We simply ask that anyone with any information please contact the police.”
The family also shared their message in Polish:
“Ernest byles skromnym, pelnym marzen bratem i synem. Kazde spotkanie z toba bylo niezapomniane.
Twoj usmiech, towarzyszoncy humor i lekkosc z jaka prowadziles rozmowe, sprawiala ze chcialo sie z Toba byc.
Cala rodzina czekala na Ciebie, na twoj przyjazd. Tesknilismy za Toba.
Wybrales zycie takie jakie chciales, byles dla siebie statkiem i okretem, badz szczesliwy.
Dziekujemy za wszystkie spelnione chwile, za kazdy telefon, znak o tym ze pamietasz. Do zobaczenia, twoja Rodzina.
“Prosimy, aby uszanowano naszą prywatność w tym trudnym czasie, oraz aby powstrzymac się od kontaktu z nami.
“Każdego, kto posiada jakiekolwiek informacje, prosimy o kontakt z policja.”
Police say that enquiries into the circumstances of Ernest’s death remain ongoing.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Matt Gillooly, from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Major Crime Team, said:
“First and foremost, my thoughts remain with Ernest’s family at this unimaginably difficult time. We will continue to support them.
“This is a large-scale investigation and our hard work continues as we remain committed to determining Ernest’s final movements, so that we can achieve answers and justice for his family.”
Anyone with information that could assist police is urged to call 101, quoting incident number 44250456238.
Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or reported online at https://orlo.uk/zfF1Q.
