April Jones’ murderer urged to reveal where her body is

The man convicted of abducting and murdering April Jones has been urged to reveal what he did with her body.

Mark Bridger, who will spend the rest of his life in prison after being found guilty of killing the five-year-old girl in a sexually motivated attack, has so far stuck to his story that he accidentally ran April over with his car and cannot remember what he did with her body because he was too drunk.

April’s disappearance while playing near her home in Machynlleth last October led to the largest missing person search in UK police history and included search experts, officers from 46 police forces and hundreds of members of the public. 

Despite the scale of the search April’s remains have never been found and the search was officially called off last month.

Michael Williams, a Machynlleth councillor, has urged Bridger to reveal April’s whereabouts “to give some peace” to her parents and the community.

The councillor said: “When he gives some thought to the magnitude of his offence, the horrific nature of the death of that little girl, he should definitely say what he did with her. There can be no question of that.”

Mr Williams added: “How could a man be so unfeeling? How is it possible for anyone to be in such a state of mind?”

Speaking to The Sun, April’s parents, Coral and Paul Jones, said there was “no way” Bridger would tell them where their daughter is and they will not give him the satisfaction of asking.

Mrs Jones said: “Lots of people have questioned him, but he’s refused to tell us all along. If he’s lied to the police, barristers, the judge, there is no way he will tell me where my little girl is.”

After his conviction on Thursday, it was revealed that the Crown Prosecution Service had decided not to submit evidence that, while on remand in HMP Manchester, Bridger had told a priest that he disposed of April’s body in a river.

At the trial it was revealed that fragments of bone consistent with a juvenile human skull were found in Bridger’s woodburner and that blood matching April’s DNA was found near a collection of knives.

It was also revealed that Bridger’s computer was filled with images of child sex abuse and pictures of murder victims including Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, who were murdered in Soham in 2002. 

Simon Wyatt