This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/aug/19/missing-woman-murdered-walsall-susan-whiting

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Two held on suspicion of murder after body find in missing woman search Two held on suspicion of murder after body found in search for missing woman
(about 3 hours later)
Two people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after police found a body in the search for a missing woman with learning difficulties. Two people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after police found a body in the search for a missing woman with learning difficulties. West Midlands police said detectives looking for Susan Whiting, last seen on Monday, made the discovery in a house in Walsall on Tuesday. The body has yet to be formally identified. West Midlands police are treating the death as suspicious.
West Midlands police said detectives looking for Susan Whiting, last seen on Monday, made the discovery in a house in Walsall on Tuesday. A 34-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were held in connection with the find. A postmortem is due to take place to establish the cause of death. Forensics teams are still at the house while officers carry out door-to-door inquiries in the area.
The body has yet to be formally identified. West Midlands police are treating the death as suspicious. Speaking after launching the missing person’s appeal, DS Paul Reeves said 20-year-old Whiting had never gone missing before. Whiting’s family raised the alarm when she failed to meet her mother to get a pre-arranged lift home. Meanwhile, the death has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which the force said was routine when a missing person is found dead.
A 34-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were held in connection with the find. A postmortem is due to take place to establish the cause of death. The police have been focusing their attentions on a terraced bungalow, setting up a forensics tent in the back garden. Neighbours reacted with shock at the discovery of the body and Tuesday’s arrests of what residents described as a lovely couple. One man, who gave his name as Peter, said: “They took two people away, a man and a woman. He was a very nice man. When he first moved here, he offered to help everybody and offered to dig my garden because I can’t get about, you see. He fixed the handrail to my front door.”
Forensics teams are still at the house while officers carry out door-to-door inquiries in the area.
Speaking after launching the missing person’s appeal, DS Paul Reeves said 20-year-old Whiting had never gone missing before.
Whiting’s family raised the alarm when she failed to meet her mother to get a pre-arranged lift home.
Meanwhile, the death has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which the force said was routine when a missing person is found dead.
The police have been focusing their attentions on a terraced bungalow, setting up a forensics tent in the back garden.
Neighbours reacted with shock at the discovery of the body and Tuesday’s arrests of what residents described as a lovely couple.
One man, who gave his name as Peter, said: “They took two people away, a man and a woman. He was a very nice man.
“When he first moved here, he offered to help everybody and offered to dig my garden because I can’t get about, you see. He fixed the handrail to my front door.”
His helper, who declined to give her name, said they were “a lovely couple”. She added: “I am gobsmacked to find out what’s happened – we’ve never had any trouble here. I’m so shocked.”His helper, who declined to give her name, said they were “a lovely couple”. She added: “I am gobsmacked to find out what’s happened – we’ve never had any trouble here. I’m so shocked.”
Dorothy and Bob Armstrong, whose garden backs on to that of the cordoned-off bungalow’s, said it was chilling to think of what may have happened. Dorothy and Bob Armstrong, whose garden backs on to that of the cordoned-off bungalow’s, said it was chilling to think of what may have happened. “It’s a terrible shame to think of that young girl,” said 84-year-old council tenant Mrs Armstrong. “I’ve been wanting to move away from here, to be honest. The man they took away, he was always doing things in the yard, trimming the hedges at the back and cutting the lawns for other people.”
“It’s a terrible shame to think of that young girl,” said 84-year-old council tenant Mrs Armstrong. “I’ve been wanting to move away from here, to be honest.”
She added: “The man they took away, he was always doing things in the yard, trimming the hedges at the back and cutting the lawns for other people.”
Julie Pritchard, who has lived on a neighbouring street for 12 years, said: “This is a real shock – we’ve never had anything like this happen here.”Julie Pritchard, who has lived on a neighbouring street for 12 years, said: “This is a real shock – we’ve never had anything like this happen here.”