Crime17 September, 20262 min read
Joanne Sheen Identified After London Wildfire; Southampton Man Arrested Over Conspiracy To Murder
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Remains identified as Joanne Sheen, Southampton mother of three missing since 2019. Discovery location in woodland near Padstow Walk, Feltham, south-west London after a wildfire.
6 outlets told this the same way.
Joanne Sheen identified
Human remains discovered in woodland after a wildfire have been identified as those of Joanne Sheen, a mother-of-three who disappeared nearly seven years ago. The Metropolitan Police were called on the evening of 12 August after bones, believed to belong to a woman aged 25 to 45, were found near Padstow Walk in Feltham, south west London, after the area was affected by a blaze. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary took over the investigation after the remains were identified as Sheen, and a 56-year-old man from Southampton was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder on Thursday and remains in police custody.
BBC said detectives in London handed the investigation over to Hampshire Police after the remains were identified as those of Sheen, and it described the disappearance probe as "long and complex". Detective Chief Inspector Toby Elcock said, "This is a significant development in what has been a long and complex investigation and provides us with several new lines of enquiry."
Investigation details and quotes
Police said the remains were found by a member of the public after the nearby land was affected by a recent wildfire, and the site was close to Bedfont Lakes Country Park. Hampshire Police said the investigation has seen more than 4,000 lines of enquiries raised, over 300 statements taken and detailed searches of more than 10 addresses as well as various bodies of water.
Detective Chief Inspector Toby Elcock told reporters, "There may still be people who have information about Joanne's disappearance, her movements before she went missing, or how she came to be in Feltham." Crimestoppers agreed to reinstate a £20,000 reward offer, and Beth Simpson said, "Our charity is here for anyone who feels unable to contact police directly but has information they now want to share anonymously and without comeback."
Reward and next steps
Police said they would still like to hear from anyone with information about Sheen's disappearance, including her movements before she went missing and how she came to be in Feltham. The Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed the remains were found by a member of the public after the nearby land was affected by a recent wildfire, and the investigation is now being driven by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. Crimestoppers is supporting the investigation by offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information received exclusively by the charity and which leads to the arrest of those responsible for Ms Sheen's murder, with the reward available for three months and due to expire on 17 December.
Elcock said, "The passage of time does not lessen the importance of that information," and he urged anyone who may know something to come forward. BBC reported that London Fire Brigade was called on 5 August to a blaze that damaged about two hectares of shrubland in an area known as Bedfont Pits, and that a week later the human remains were discovered and a post-mortem suggested they had come from a woman aged between 25 and 45.