Man rearrested over women's alleged murder after bones found in London

A major breakthrough has emerged in a five-year-old missing person case following the discovery of human remains in London.

A 56-year-old man from Southampton has been rearrested on suspicion of murder, as well as conspiracy to commit murder, after the remains were positively identified as Joanne Sheen.

Joanne Sheen was 44 years old and a mother of three at the time of her disappearance.

She was last seen on December 5, 2019, while travelling from Fareham to Southampton, but was officially reported missing by her family two months later, in February 2020.

The discovery of the bones was made by a member of the public on August 12 at Padstow Walk in Feltham, south-west London.

The bones were located in an area of shrubland near Bedfont Lakes Country Park, which had been severely damaged by a two-hectare wildfire just a week prior.

Following forensic identification of the body, detectives from the Metropolitan Police officially handed the murder investigation over to Hampshire Police.

The newly rearrested suspect had previously been questioned in 2020 during the initial stages of the investigation and has now been released on conditional bail.

A second 56-year-old man from Southampton was also arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder and has been released on bail.

Before this breakthrough, the complex case had remained unsolved despite a massive law enforcement effort.

Over the years, police pursued more than 4,000 separate lines of inquiry, gathered over 300 statements, and executed searches across 10 properties and multiple water vessels.

Investigators previously noted that Sheen led a highly transient lifestyle, as she had no fixed address, did not own a vehicle, and did not hold a bank account, which added significant complications to tracking her final movements.