Murder of Sian O'Callaghan
Encyclopedia
Sian O'Callaghan was a 22-year-old British
woman who disappeared from Swindon
, Wiltshire
, having last been seen at a nightclub in the town in the early hours of 19 March 2011. A 47-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of kidnap and subsequently gave the location of O'Callaghan's body to police. Her body was found on 24 March 2011 near Uffington
in Oxfordshire
. The suspect was later charged with O'Callaghan's murder and held under suspicion of a second murder.
O'Callaghan's murder has been linked to the murder of Melanie Hall, a 25-year-old woman who was last seen alive in June 1996 and whose remains were found in October 2009. Other disappearances connected to the Melanie Hall case could also be linked to O'Callaghan's disappearance and murder.
at 0324 GMT; analysis later showed that her mobile phone was in the Savernake Forest
area – 12 miles (19.3 km) away – at the time the message was received. At 0945, Reape contacted the police and reported O'Callaghan as missing.
On 20 March, the police issued their first public appeal for information, and announced that they had begun searching Savernake Forest. They stated that the time that elapsed between O'Callaghan's appearance on the club's CCTV and her mobile phone signal (0252 and 0324 respectively) meant that the journey from Swindon to the forest could only have been made by car. On 22 March, approximately 400 members of the public joined the police in their search of the forest. The same day, an anonymous donor offered a £20,000 reward for information that would lead to finding O'Callaghan.
On 23 March, police announced that analysis of O'Callaghan's mobile phone signals led to the identification of a number of "hot spots" to be investigated. Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher of Wiltshire Police said that the investigation was moving at a "rapid pace", and that "significant lines of inquiry" were being developed. Members of the public were asked to stand down from searches.
On 24 March, police made an urgent appeal for witnesses of a green Toyota Avensis
with taxi markings, which had been seen between Swindon and Savernake Forest shortly after O'Callaghan's disappearance.
who has two daughters and a son and lives in Swindon with his partner, on suspicion of kidnapping
and double murder. The arrest was made at an Asda
supermarket in north Swindon, where a green Toyota Avensis taxi was also seized. The suspect gave police the locations of two bodies. Later the same day, O'Callaghan's body was found in a shallow grave near Uffington, Oxfordshire
.
On 25 March, police announced that they had begun searching for a second body on farmland between the villages of Eastleach
in Gloucestershire
and Filkins
in Oxfordshire, stating that they believe it was linked to the only outstanding missing persons inquiry in Wiltshire. Halliwell appeared at Swindon Magistrates' Court, where police were granted an additional 24 hours for questioning. On 26 March it was announced that human remains had been found as part of the Eastleach search. At 2120 GMT, Halliwell was charged with O'Callaghan's murder.
During the subsequent investigation, police were approached by officers investigating the murder of Melanie Hall, who was murdered after disappearing from a Bath nightclub in 1996.
On 1 April, the inquest at Oxford
coroner's court was told that it was likely O'Callaghan died from head injuries
, though a forensic pathologist from the Home Office
had yet to confirm a precise cause of death.
On 5 April, police stated that the second body was that of Rebecca 'Becky' Godden-Edwards, a Swindon woman who was born on 4 April 1982 and last seen alive in 2002 at the age of 20. Halliwell was charged with the murder of Becky Godden-Edwards on 23 May.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
woman who disappeared from Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, having last been seen at a nightclub in the town in the early hours of 19 March 2011. A 47-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of kidnap and subsequently gave the location of O'Callaghan's body to police. Her body was found on 24 March 2011 near Uffington
Uffington, Oxfordshire
Uffington is a village and civil parish about south of Faringdon. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. Uffington is most commonly known as the location of the Uffington White Horse hill figure....
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. The suspect was later charged with O'Callaghan's murder and held under suspicion of a second murder.
O'Callaghan's murder has been linked to the murder of Melanie Hall, a 25-year-old woman who was last seen alive in June 1996 and whose remains were found in October 2009. Other disappearances connected to the Melanie Hall case could also be linked to O'Callaghan's disappearance and murder.
Timeline
At 0252 GMT on 19 March 2011, O'Callaghan was captured on CCTV leaving Swindon's Suju nightclub to walk 800 metre (0.497098189319845 mi) to the flat in Swindon's old town that she shared with her boyfriend, Kevin Reape. Reape sent O'Callaghan an SMSSMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
at 0324 GMT; analysis later showed that her mobile phone was in the Savernake Forest
Savernake Forest
Savernake Forest is on a Cretaceous chalk plateau between Marlborough and Great Bedwyn in Wiltshire, England. Its area is approximately .It is privately owned by the Trustees of Savernake Estate, the Earl of Cardigan, and his family solicitor. Since 1939 the running of the forest has been...
area – 12 miles (19.3 km) away – at the time the message was received. At 0945, Reape contacted the police and reported O'Callaghan as missing.
On 20 March, the police issued their first public appeal for information, and announced that they had begun searching Savernake Forest. They stated that the time that elapsed between O'Callaghan's appearance on the club's CCTV and her mobile phone signal (0252 and 0324 respectively) meant that the journey from Swindon to the forest could only have been made by car. On 22 March, approximately 400 members of the public joined the police in their search of the forest. The same day, an anonymous donor offered a £20,000 reward for information that would lead to finding O'Callaghan.
On 23 March, police announced that analysis of O'Callaghan's mobile phone signals led to the identification of a number of "hot spots" to be investigated. Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher of Wiltshire Police said that the investigation was moving at a "rapid pace", and that "significant lines of inquiry" were being developed. Members of the public were asked to stand down from searches.
On 24 March, police made an urgent appeal for witnesses of a green Toyota Avensis
Toyota Avensis
The Toyota Avensis is a large family car built in Derbyshire, United Kingdom by Japanese carmaker Toyota since 1997. It is the direct successor to the Carina E and is available as a four-door saloon, five-door liftback and estate...
with taxi markings, which had been seen between Swindon and Savernake Forest shortly after O'Callaghan's disappearance.
Arrest and discovery of bodies
On the afternoon of 24 March, police arrested Christopher Halliwell, a 47-year-old taxi driverTaxi Driver
Taxi Driver is a 1976 American drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. The film is set in New York City, soon after the Vietnam War. The film stars Robert De Niro and features Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, and Cybill Shepherd. The film was nominated for four Academy...
who has two daughters and a son and lives in Swindon with his partner, on suspicion of kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
and double murder. The arrest was made at an Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
supermarket in north Swindon, where a green Toyota Avensis taxi was also seized. The suspect gave police the locations of two bodies. Later the same day, O'Callaghan's body was found in a shallow grave near Uffington, Oxfordshire
Uffington, Oxfordshire
Uffington is a village and civil parish about south of Faringdon. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. Uffington is most commonly known as the location of the Uffington White Horse hill figure....
.
On 25 March, police announced that they had begun searching for a second body on farmland between the villages of Eastleach
Eastleach
Eastleach is a civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It was created in 1935 when the separate parishes of Eastleach Turville and Eastleach Martin were combined as the civil parish of Eastleach...
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
and Filkins
Filkins
Filkins is a village in the civil parish of Filkins and Broughton Poggs, about southwest of Carterton in Oxfordshire.-History:The Gothic Revival architect G.E. Street built the Church of England parish church of Saint Peter in 1855-1857...
in Oxfordshire, stating that they believe it was linked to the only outstanding missing persons inquiry in Wiltshire. Halliwell appeared at Swindon Magistrates' Court, where police were granted an additional 24 hours for questioning. On 26 March it was announced that human remains had been found as part of the Eastleach search. At 2120 GMT, Halliwell was charged with O'Callaghan's murder.
Investigation
After the discovery of the bodies, police began investigations to determine the causes of death and to confirm the identity of the Eastleach discovery. During a news conference on 26 March, Det Supt Fulcher said that Halliwell had told police that the remains were those of a woman abducted from Swindon some time between 2003 and 2005. Fulcher also stated that tests revealed that O'Callaghan had not been sexually assaulted.During the subsequent investigation, police were approached by officers investigating the murder of Melanie Hall, who was murdered after disappearing from a Bath nightclub in 1996.
On 1 April, the inquest at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
coroner's court was told that it was likely O'Callaghan died from head injuries
Head Injuries
Head Injuries is an album by Midnight Oil that was released in 1979 under the Columbia Records label. It was the last Midnight Oil album to feature Andrew James on bass who quit the band due to illness....
, though a forensic pathologist from the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
had yet to confirm a precise cause of death.
On 5 April, police stated that the second body was that of Rebecca 'Becky' Godden-Edwards, a Swindon woman who was born on 4 April 1982 and last seen alive in 2002 at the age of 20. Halliwell was charged with the murder of Becky Godden-Edwards on 23 May.