Murder Ruled Out in Rochdale Death Investigation; Woman Released on Bail
ROCHDALE – August 19, 2026 – Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have officially ruled out murder as a line of enquiry in the death of 31-year-old Nathan Haigh, who was found unresponsive at a flat in Great Howarth, near Wardle, last Tuesday, August 11. A 37-year-old woman, previously arrested on suspicion of murder, has been released, though she remains on bail for an unrelated assault charge.
Emergency services discovered Mr. Haigh just before 7:40 PM, and despite immediate efforts by paramedics, he was pronounced dead shortly after. The initial investigation saw detectives explore "several lines of enquiries in what initially appears to be suspicious circumstances," leading to the woman’s arrest.
However, in an update issued this evening, Wednesday, August 19, GMP confirmed that "following extensive enquiries, detectives have ruled out murder as a line of enquiry." The force added that the 37-year-old woman, who had been held in connection with Mr. Haigh’s death, has been released from custody.
Detective Inspector Georgina Fearn, from Rochdale CID, addressed the ongoing investigation: “Specialist officers continue to support Nathan’s family, and our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time. Nathan was a young man in his prime and his sudden death came as a shock to those who knew him. From the outset, we remained open-minded regarding the cause of death and explored several possible lines of enquiry as part of our investigation.”
Detective Inspector Fearn further clarified, “Our enquiries have established that murder is no longer being treated as a line of enquiry. We continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Nathan’s death while awaiting the full results of the post-mortem examination. We understand that incidents of this nature may cause concern within the community; however, we do not believe there is any wider risk to the public.”
Forensic officers had previously been seen examining the ground-floor flat where Mr. Haigh is believed to have resided. It is understood that he had no children and had worked as a roofer, having lived in the estate for approximately 20 years.
The news comes as Mr. Haigh’s mother, Keeley Greenwood, shared her profound grief on social media. She has established a GoFundMe page to raise funds to provide her son with "the send off he deserves."
In a heartfelt post, Ms. Greenwood wrote: "It is with the heaviest of hearts that I share the heartbreaking news that my beautiful son, Nathan Haigh, tragically passed away on 11th August 2026. We are now trying to raise funds to give Nathan the send off he deserves during this incredibly difficult time. Any donation no matter how big or small, would mean so much to our family and would be deeply appreciated. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness, love and support. Any further details will be updated as soon as we have more information." She concluded with a poignant message: "RIP my son. I will always love you Nathan Haigh." Numerous other tributes have also been shared across social media platforms.
