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'Facebook fugitive' found dead

A British man, who was being sought by police in the brutal death of an ex-girlfriend, has been found hanged.

Natalie Weinstein Former Senior Editor / News
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Natalie Weinstein

A British man, suspected of brutally killing a former girlfriend, was found hanged in Manchester, various U.K. newspapers reported.

The body of George Appleton, 40, who was dubbed the "Facebook fugitive" among other nicknames by the British press, was discovered Thursday. The nickname is related to police warnings regarding his use of social-networking sites, including Facebook, to meet women.

Police had been searching for Appleton since his former girlfriend, Clare Wood, was found strangled and burned on February 6, according to the Manchester Evening News. She had recently accused him of sexual assault. He was out on bail.

After her body was found, police issued a list of sites frequented by and computer usernames associated with Appleton and warned women not to meet him, according to The Independent.

Appleton, who had a criminal history related to stalking and violence against women, had served three years earlier this decade for harassment with fear of violence related to another woman and had served six months after breaching a restraining order related to a different woman, according to The Sun.

The chilling details of crimes, both those alleged and ones he was convicted of, can be found here, here and here in the Manchester Evening News.