"Police searching for a missing former EastEnders actress and her two children have found three bodies at their south-east London home.
"Sian Blake, 43, and her two young sons, aged four and eight, have not been seen since 13 December.
"The Met Police said the bodies were found in the garden and a murder investigation was under way."
That's getting on for a month. Did no-one think to look outside?
Tragic, I see the mum wasn't well so maybe that was contributing.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35235288
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>> That's getting on for a month. Did no-one think to look outside?
Not followed this in detail but I had impression that until last couple of days it was a missing persons inquiry. In fact I'm sure I heard on late news last night that it was 'now' a murder case.
Possible that until then intell et suggested they had 'gone away' for whatever reason. After that case a few years ago where girl's body was in loft while police searched I guess that, had there been an earlier hint that they were looking for bodies the house/grounds would have been searched 'forensically' at an earlier date.
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>> That's getting on for a month. Did no-one think to look outside?
Was a regular missing persons enquiry right up to 3 days ago when her partner who reported them missing himself went missing, only then did it take a more sinister turn.
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Surely even on Day 1 of a missing person enquiry a quick look around the premises would be in order?
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Maybe the poliss are fairly laid back about "missing" adults, at least for a day or two, but with two children missing as well, and only a presumption that they are with the adult...
There must be more to it. I hope.
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I don't suppose they were just lying on the lawn................the death of the father makes the case look more sinister. Then the dibble will extend the search to digging/rooting through shrubbery/moving rubbish/etc.
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>> Surely even on Day 1 of a missing person enquiry a quick look around the
>> premises would be in order?
Om day one of an adult missing persons enquiry no-one is looking nowhere.
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It was, so far as I can see, a case of husband reporting wife and kids missing. Happens all the time unfortunately with foul play a very remote possibility. Only a police matter if there are genuine concerns for health/safety and possibly if family court orders have been flouted.
If house looked as though exit was planned/peaceful and a cursory check finds nothing unusual then there'd be no justification to start 'forensic' inquiries.
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Especially if those sent to check stopped for a bit of kip...
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>>and a cursory check finds nothing unusual
I didn't realise that a cursory check of the house and garden had already been done. And I am pleased to hear that it is always / usually done.
Of course one couldn't start detailed excavation without reason.
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There is a low, medium, high risk reporting system.
The reports are always supervised and part of that supervision is to ensure the grading is correct.
There's various expectations of reporting/investigating officers, depending on the circs and depending on the grading.
High risk are a CID responsibility.
House searches are a common practice, but the reality is it'll probably be a cursory one in the circs where mum has abandoned ship with the kids and left dad to it. Plenty of people do that.
Over a period of time if other relatives keep the pressure on and there's no banking transactions etc, then the ante can be upped. Kids need to go to school and don't usually just disappear.
Don't forget, to properly search somewhere you need to have the authority to do it, backed up by 'something'...an initial hunch won't be good enough.
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The Met Police has referred itself to the IPCC (Independent Police Complaints Commission) and specifically said: "potential issues regarding the handling and grading of the missing persons investigation"
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-35240438
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Have a read of the more than plausible explanation given by Colin Sutton an ex Met DCI as to why there could have been a delay in finding the bodies.
Basically 'money'.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12084579/EastEnders-murder-Family-demands-answers-as-watchdog-investigates-three-week-delay-in-finding-bodies.html
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Deosnt' surprise me, someone using the opportunity to score a political point (albeit possibly a valid one).
Judging by the overhead pics in this page, if the police used a drone they'd have seen the bodies... (I know, they were probably covered....) www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-35240438
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The only questions that need to be asked are
Could the old bill have saved their lives if they had acted any differently
Could the old bill have apprehended the perp before he skipped the country had they acted any differently.
I bet the answer to both will be no. If that is the case then why do we need to do any ass kicking?
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I'm not looking to blame anyone. Not at all.
It just seems like a quick shufty round the house and gardens might take 5 minutes and make a bunch of sense.
As you say, it.is unlikely to stop anybody being dead but it might.make the process quicker and cheaper. And who knows, might catch the odd villain on the hop.
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>> Judging by the overhead pics in this page, if the police used a drone they'd
>> have seen the bodies... (I know, they were probably covered....) www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-35240438
But why would they use a drone?
Westpig's post confirms my intuition about way these things are handled. Mother (apparently) bailing out with kids is an incredibly common scenario. The overwhelming majority are variations on relationship breakdown and in so far as law is engaged they're family/civil matters with no hint of criminality.
My own handle on numbers:
I do one day a week volunteering at CAB and have done for just over a year. Role is effectively triaging phone callers or drop ins to sort those who can, with assistance, help themselves from those needing more extensive generalist or specialist advice. While nothing like as frequent as benefits, bosses or bailiffs I've seen probably half a dozen men and one woman in a he/she's taken the kids scenario. First questions on the 'script' are about risk of harm but other than taking them abroad/out of jurisdiction I don't think any colleague has had a Yes answer.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 6 Jan 16 at 20:45
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Media reporting that Sian Blake's partner has been arrested in Ghana on suspicion og murder of her and kids:
www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/09/arthur-simpson-kent-arrested-murder-sian-blake
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Saw that on TV. Interesting thing is that the locals in the remote village recognised him from pictures on Facebook. There is truly no hiding place in the age of social media.
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not found Lucan yet tho have they
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Where had they been looking then? - Bromptonaut
