Sarah Everard: Body found in woodland confirmed as that of missing woman.
A body found by police in woodland on Wednesday has been confirmed as that of Sarah Everard.
The 33-year-old marketing executive disappeared as she walked home in south London last week.
A serving Met officer remains in custody having been held on suspicion of Ms Everard's kidnap
and murder.
Speaking outside New Scotland Yard, Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave confirmed the latest
development in the investigation.
He said: "As you know, on Wednesday evening detectives investigating the disappearance
of Sarah Everard discovered a body secreted in woodland in Kent.
The body has now been recovered and formal identification procedure has now been undertaken."
Ms Everard was last seen on 3 March walking alone down a main road in Clapham at 21:30
GMT, with police saying it was unclear whether she reached her home in Brixton.
Mr Ephgrave said that specialist officers remained in constant contact with Ms Everard's
family and that hundreds of officers were working "round the clock" to establish the
full circumstances of her disappearance.
"I know that the public feel deeply hurt and angry and I speak on behalf of all my colleagues
when I say that we too are horrified."
Throughout the week, searches have been carried out in Clapham, where Ms Everard was last
seen, as well as at a home in Deal and the woodland in Ashford.
On Tuesday, the Met officer was arrested in Kent on suspicion of Ms Everard's kidnap and
was later rearrested on suspicion of her murder.
The man, who is in his 40s and works with the Met's Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection
Command, was taken to hospital on Thursday suffering from head injuries he sustained
while alone in his cell.
He was treated, discharged and returned to the police station where he is being held,
after an application to extend his detention was granted by magistrates.
A woman in her 30s, who was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, has been released
on bail until mid-April.
The Met is facing an investigation by the police watchdog into its handling of a separate
allegation of indecent exposure against the arrested officer.
The Met is facing a High Court challenge after organisers of a vigil in response to the disappearance
of Ms Everard took action, claiming police reversed a decision to allow the gathering
to go ahead.
Organisers said there had been an "about-face" by the Met and they were told Saturday's Reclaim
These Streets event in Clapham would not be permitted due to the coronavirus lockdown.
The group is at the High Court challenging the force's interpretation of Covid-19 restrictions.
In a statement on Thursday evening, Ms Everard's family paid tribute to her as a "kind, thoughtful,
caring and dependable" person.
They added: "She always put others first and had the most amazing sense of humour."
"She was strong and principled and a shining example to us all.
We are very proud of her and she brought so much joy to our lives."
On 3 March, Sarah Everard vanishes after leaving a friend's house on Leathwaite Road, Battersea,
about 21:00 GMT On 5 March, Met Police are "increasingly concerned"
for Ms Everard and make an appeal on Twitter On 6 March, Ms Everard's family, who are from
York, say her disappearance is "totally out of character" as officers search Clapham Common's
ponds On 7 March, Footage taken from a doorbell
camera shows Ms Everard walking alone along the A205 Poynder Road towards Tulse Hill at
21:30.
Police say it is unclear whether or not she reached her house in Brixton
On 8 March, more than 120 calls are made from the public on the case and more than 750 homes
are visited as part of the investigation On 9 March, a serving officer is arrested
in Kent along with a woman who is held on suspicion of assisting an offender
On 10 March, Met Police Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave describes the arrest as "shocking
and deeply disturbing".
Extensive searches are carried out in parts of Kent.
Later in the evening Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said human remains have been found in
a woodland in Kent On 11 March, suspect taken to hospital after
suffering head injuries while in custody.
The woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender is released on bail
On 12 March, body found in Kent woodland confirmed to be Ms Everard's.
[News taken from BBC]
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