# Missing the night before, petrol in the boot, police suspected suicide

> Sands's wife reported him missing on the evening of 28 March 1987; two days later he drove at speed into an empty cafe with petrol cans in the boot, and…

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marconi-scientists/evidence/EVD0DGGD6PEJ9QD/missing-the-night-before-petrol-in-the-boot-police-suspected  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Marconi scientists' deaths, 1982–1990](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marconi-scientists)Evidence

Evidence · Marconi scientists' deaths, 1982–1990

# Missing the night before, petrol in the boot, police suspected suicide

Sands's wife reported him missing on the evening of 28 March 1987; two days later he drove at speed into an empty cafe with petrol cans in the boot, and Hampshire police worked on a suicide theory.

Suggestive0

## What it means

Key question[Which of the deaths remain unexplained after their inquests, and what would settle each one?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marconi-scientists/questions/QST0DGG9P56CQK6/which-of-the-deaths-remain-unexplained-after-their-inquests)

No evidence yet

**No evidence yet** unchanged

Part of it[Was David Sands's crash into a disused cafe on 30 March 1987 deliberate?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marconi-scientists/questions/QST0DGGA1KAYWZS/was-david-sandss-crash-into-a-disused-cafe-on-30-march-1987)

2 answers, none ahead yet

**Open** was No evidence yet

Answer this evidence bears on[Deliberate: suicide by crash](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marconi-scientists/answers/ANS0DGGBE3KEQB4/deliberate-suicide-by-crash)

Supports1 for, none against

**Still possible** was No evidence yet

What it implies
1.

The circumstances point to a deliberate act, though intent was not proved at the inquest.For: Was David Sands's crash into a disused cafe on 30 March 1987 deliberate?

## Next steps 2

1

Find the Hampshire inquest report on Sands (May 1987)

Could decideFair odds~3 h

[On: Was David Sands's crash into a disused cafe on 30 March 1987 deliberate?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marconi-scientists/questions/QST0DGGA1KAYWZS/was-david-sandss-crash-into-a-disused-cafe-on-30-march-1987)Set by this evidence

**39** score

Details

Local press (Basingstoke Gazette, Hampshire Chronicle) for May 1987 reported the inquest. The evidence heard (where he was on 28-30 March, where the petrol came from) would settle intent.

2

Find the Sands inquest report

Could shiftFair odds~4 h

[On: Was David Sands's crash into a disused cafe on 30 March 1987 deliberate?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marconi-scientists/questions/QST0DGGA1KAYWZS/was-david-sandss-crash-into-a-disused-cafe-on-30-march-1987)

**21** score

Details

Find Hampshire press coverage of David Sands's 1987 inquest (Basingstoke Gazette, Southern Evening Echo) for the evidence heard on intent.

Ranked by how likely each is to move the key question, for the time it takes

## Sources 3

[Inquiry sought into deaths of scientists](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DGG683M6V9V/inquiry-sought-into-deaths-of-scientists)

NZPA-PA 1987

SRC

[Mr. David Sands: written answer, House of Commons, 9 April 1987 (HC Deb vol 114 c361W)](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DGG5ASRPFBW/mr-david-sands-written-answer-house-of-commons-9-april-1987)

Commons 1987

SRC

[Scientists' Deaths Mystify British](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DGG6JXTCFY6/scientists-deaths-mystify-british)

Witt 1988

SRC

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). Missing the night before, petrol in the boot, police suspected suicide [Evidence EVD0DGGD6PEJ9QD]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/EVD0DGGD6PEJ9QD
```

Key

**EVD** 0DGGD6PEJ9QD

Kind

Evidence

Tier

Suggestive

Found in

[Session 1](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marconi-scientists/sessions/SES0DGGH6FG4GHG/session-1-the-marconi-deaths-the-record-collected-and-the) · 3 Nov 2026

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