POLICE are still hunting for a murdered St Albans man, a cannabis grower whose body has never been found, three years after his death, an inquest has heard.

On Tuesday, Herts Coroner Edward Thomas held a hearing to enable the family of Murray Thompson to obtain a death certificate.

Murray, aged 34, of St Peter’s Street, St Albans, was last seen at a property in Watford, on April 20, 2010. His disappearance prompted a major police inquiry and media campaign to find him but no one came forward with information.

Three men were subsequently convicted in relation to his disappearance and murder.

Mr Thomas explained to the inquest that he had to apply to the Secretary of State for authorisation to hold an inquest “even though no body has been found”.

Mr Thomas told Murray’s family: “It is sometimes very difficult to deal with financial affairs until you have the death certificate.”

He confirmed that Murray, a delivery driver, had been living at St Peter’s Street in St Albans at the time of his death.

He said that he was satisfied from the information and forensic evidence provided that Murray had died at an address on St Albans Road in Watford.

Mr Thomas went on: “He wasn’t just a missing person, he was a dead person. I am satisfied from the evidence that he was killed.”

He recorded the cause of his death as ‘unascertainable’ as Murray’s body has not been found but recorded a verdict that he was unlawfully killed.

He said he hoped that, “someone will reveal where his body is. It is so awful, what happened to him, but also for you [the family] to not know where he is.”

Mr Thomas asked why the three convicted men had not yet revealed the whereabouts of Murray’s body and was reassured by DC Victoria Major that police would not end the investigation until they found the body.

n Murray vanished in April 2010 after going to one of five properties where skunk was being produced. James Evans of Bushey Mill Lane, Watford, was found guilty of his murder, two counts of perverting the course of justice, of which one was for disposing of Murray’s body, and conspiracy to produce cannabis.

Two other men were found guilty of perverting the course of justice and intimidating witnesses.