Police searching for the remains of a man who is suspected of murdering a woman outside a Kent pub on Valentine’s Day have recovered a body from the River Thames.
Lisa Smith, 43, from Slough, was shot dead near the Three Horseshoes pub in Knockholt just after 7pm on 14 February.
Five days later, police said they believed that the murder suspect, named as Edvard Stockings or Smith, had died after falling from the Queen Elizabeth II bridge, which crosses the Thames about 17 miles away from Knockholt.
A car containing a handgun was found abandoned on the bridge and a man was seen on the wrong side of the barrier, but at the time, his body had yet to be found.
Now, police have informed the suspect’s family that a body was found in the Thames near Rainham, Essex, at about 3.45pm on Friday.
Formal identification, however, has not yet taken place.
DCI David Higham said: “This murder has led to the senseless loss of a beloved daughter and mother and our thoughts remain with Lisa’s family.”
The landlady of the Three Horseshoes, Michelle Thomas, has described customers “screaming, shouting and crying” when they realised what had happened. About 30 people were at the pub for dinner, while 20 more were in the bar as the incident unfolded just after 7pm, she said.
Police said the suspect was known to Lisa. There had been no prior contact between the police and the victim or the suspect, they added.
