Sian O'Callaghan murder: Hunt in field for second body after tip from suspect
In an isolated field, on Friday night diggers continued to sift through the soil on a grim mission to find a second body linked to the Sian O’Callaghan murder investigation.
Officers continue to search at the site near the Uffington White Horse where Sian O'Callaghan was found Photo: GETTY
Search teams were led there following a tip from Chris Halliwell, the taxi driver suspect in the case. Their efforts were focused on land near Eastleach Turville, about 15 miles north of Swindon.
Yesterday, Det Supt Steve Fulcher, who is leading the investigation, said Mr Halliwell, who remains in custody on suspicion of kidnap and double murder, had led him to the field in person.
Police said that if they found the body it was likely to have been someone who was killed “some years ago”. The family of Linda Razzell, 41, a teacher who went missing in Swindon in 2002, were waiting to see if she could be a second victim. Mrs Razzell’s estranged husband, Glyn, was convicted of her murder in 2003. He has always protested his innocence.
Police found Miss O’Callaghan’s body near the White Horse in Uffington, Oxon, on Thursday. They believe she was killed elsewhere and her body moved.
The 22-year-old office administrator had not been seen since she left Suju nightclub in Swindon shortly before 3am last Saturday, texting her boyfriend, Kevin Reape, to say she would be home soon.
Mr Reape was asleep, but woke 30 minutes later to find the message and became anxious that she was not home. He texted her back, writing: “Worried.x”
The message was picked up by Miss O’Callaghan’s phone 15 miles away in Savernake Forest, near Marlborough. A search of the area involved 400 volunteers, but it was not until Thursday afternoon and after the arrest of Mr Halliwell that police were led to her body lying in undergrowth more than 20 miles away.
Mr Fulcher, of Wiltshire Police, said: “He led me to two locations; one where we discovered the body of a woman who we believe is Sian and also to another location where we believe that a second body may be.”
He was taken to the second site at about 5pm and shown a spot near a set of gateposts, just inside a field next to a crossroads. The field is owned by Anthony Kinch, a farmer. He said: “All I can say is it is not far from the road, the area where they are looking.”
Graham Soule, whose property overlooks the area, said a group of plain-clothed officials arrived at 3pm on Thursday. Later, figures in white suits could be seen erecting a blue tent and the search progressed over a quarter of a mile.
As they continued to search the area, police were given another 24 hours to question Mr Halliwell. Last night they said they did not know who the second body could be: “We do not at this stage know what we are dealing with.”
Mrs Razzell, a mother of four, has never been found. Mr Razzell was convicted after traces of his wife’s blood were found in a car he had borrowed, but the blood was missed during two forensic examinations and Mr Razzell’s family believe the police made a mistake.
A post-mortem examination was carried out on Miss O’Callaghan’s body yesterday and the results are expected over the weekend.
The message was picked up by Miss O’Callaghan’s phone 15 miles away in Savernake Forest, near Marlborough. A search of the area involved 400 volunteers, but it was not until Thursday afternoon and after the arrest of Mr Halliwell that police were led to her body lying in undergrowth more than 20 miles away.
Mr Fulcher, of Wiltshire Police, said: “He led me to two locations; one where we discovered the body of a woman who we believe is Sian and also to another location where we believe that a second body may be.”
He was taken to the second site at about 5pm and shown a spot near a set of gateposts, just inside a field next to a crossroads. The field is owned by Anthony Kinch, a farmer. He said: “All I can say is it is not far from the road, the area where they are looking.”
Graham Soule, whose property overlooks the area, said a group of plain-clothed officials arrived at 3pm on Thursday. Later, figures in white suits could be seen erecting a blue tent and the search progressed over a quarter of a mile.
As they continued to search the area, police were given another 24 hours to question Mr Halliwell. Last night they said they did not know who the second body could be: “We do not at this stage know what we are dealing with.”
Mrs Razzell, a mother of four, has never been found. Mr Razzell was convicted after traces of his wife’s blood were found in a car he had borrowed, but the blood was missed during two forensic examinations and Mr Razzell’s family believe the police made a mistake.
A post-mortem examination was carried out on Miss O’Callaghan’s body yesterday and the results are expected over the weekend.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8408016/Sian-OCallaghan-murder-Hunt-in-field-for-second-body-after-tip-from-suspect.html
