Police believe body in septic tank is woman missing since 1982

Police have arrested an 86-year-old man on suspicion of murder after a woman’s remains were found in a septic tank.

Detectives believe the remains are those of Brenda Venables, who disappeared from the village of Kempsey in Worcestershire in 1982 when she was 48.

Venables was reported missing by her husband, David, a farmer. He told his local newspaper at the time that he had no idea what happened to her.

West Mercia police launched a murder investigation after the discovery of the remains at the couple’s former home in Bestmans Lane, Kempsey, on 12 July. Police announced on Tuesday that an arrest had been made.

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A spokesperson said detectives were awaiting DNA results but that circumstances led them to believe the remains were likely to be those of Brenda Venables.

In May 1982, David Venables told the Worcester News: “I just woke up to find that she had gone. She has never done anything like this before and I haven’t the faintest idea what has happened to her.”

He said his wife had recently been suffering from depression and a bout of flu. Venables, who farmed 202 hectares (500 acres) of land, added: “I have been unable to sleep a wink since she left and I can only hope and pray she is safe.”

Source: (The Guardian)