This article is from the source 'bbc' 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.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-35051816
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 2 | Version 3 |
---|---|
Natalia Doherty murder inquiry: Human remains found in garden | Natalia Doherty murder inquiry: Human remains found in garden |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Human remains have been found in a garden by police investigating the disappearance of a woman who went missing 12 years ago. | Human remains have been found in a garden by police investigating the disappearance of a woman who went missing 12 years ago. |
Natalia Doherty, 50, a mother-of-three, was last seen in Eastbourne, East Sussex, in April 2003, prompting a murder inquiry. | Natalia Doherty, 50, a mother-of-three, was last seen in Eastbourne, East Sussex, in April 2003, prompting a murder inquiry. |
Police have been searching the garden of a house in Icknield Way, Luton. | Police have been searching the garden of a house in Icknield Way, Luton. |
Two men, aged 66 and 39, from Luton, have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are in police custody. | Two men, aged 66 and 39, from Luton, have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are in police custody. |
Updates on this story and others from Bedfordshire | Updates on this story and others from Bedfordshire |
Police said early indications suggested that the remains were those of a female, but no formal identification had taken place. | Police said early indications suggested that the remains were those of a female, but no formal identification had taken place. |
The older man had previously been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and preventing a lawful burial. | |
'Skeletal remains' | |
A 71-year-old man from Port Glasgow, Scotland, is on bail on suspicion of the same crimes. | A 71-year-old man from Port Glasgow, Scotland, is on bail on suspicion of the same crimes. |
Det Insp Jerry Waite, of the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire major crime unit, said recent inquiries had led them to the garden. | |
"Police have been working here since last Monday, where we have been conducting ground survey work and we have discovered the skeletal remains of a person," he said. | |
"As yet there appears to be no formal identification, but we have informed the family of Natalia Doherty that we believe it could be her and we are supporting them. | |
"Due to the intelligence we had, we strongly believed Natalia would be here." | |
Detectives believe that shortly before her death, Ms Doherty travelled to Luton to stay with her late ex-husband, Gerald, at the Regents Arms in Hastings Street. | |
Det Insp Waite said he wanted to hear from anyone who knew the pair around the time of the last confirmed sighting of Ms Doherty on 15 April 2003. | |
"We would appeal for them to come forward - especially if they knew them in or around 2003 - and were aware of them being in Luton during February to April 2003," he said. |