Police Search for April Jones nearly complete

[pdq1]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...es-mid-wales-19930032

Does this show police methods are totally unsatisfactory in finding a missing body or could it point to the fact the body no longer exists?

[Mick-Talbot]

Irony?

[friedgreentomato]

I just love our legal system - guilty until proven otherwise

[DTCwordfan]

well sense of the absurd.

Both Barmaid and Sandy have the essence of the situation covered as to the defendant's position. Last case of proven "murder with no body" was actually earlier this year in Scotland involving two missing women. It's hard to get a guilty verdict......

[emmie]

Sandyr, he must know surely, otherwise why is he in custody, and why was he weeping in court.

[hc4361]

He hasn't admitted it so we don't know if he did or not.

If he didn't do it, he can't say where she is and anyone charged with murder of a child would be weeping in court if they were innocent.

[friedgreentomato]

'and why was he weeping in court. '

Perhaps he is terrified!! He would not be the first person locked up for a crime they didn't do

[sandyRoe]

If I was facing the prospect of a life sentence for a crime I hadn't committed, I think I would be weeping too.
Even if they're crocodile tears they wouldn't, on their own, be enough to secure a conviction.

[Barmaid]

He is in custody because the police think that they have enough evidence to charge him. Of course until the trial we have no idea what that evidence is.

It is possible that the police have the wrong man and that could explain why he was weeping in Court!

[emmie]

if they don't find her, then how can they charge him.

[sandyRoe]

Just recently a man was convicted of the murder of his wife who had disappeared some years earlier. Her body was never found.

[Barmaid]

It is possible to bring a murder charge without a body - for instance we do not know what forensic evidence they have. However, unless the evidence is extremely solid, I think they could have the devil's own job getting a guilty verdict. If the jury has "reasonable doubt" he'll be acquitted.

[emmie]

how can you find someone guilty if there is no body, evidence to support the crime.

[sandyRoe]

Here's one such case.
http://www.dailymail....ottish-Highlands.html

[Barmaid]

Danielle Jones was never found and CPS got a guilty verdict. That case involved the forensic examination of text messages.

[Barmaid]

Most of the "no body found" convictions are in cases where there was a close relationship between victim and murderer. This is a bit different.

[sherrardk]

There's a bloke around here who is currently on trial for the murder of his wife and her body hasn't been found either.

[emmie]

he was known to the family, and the area, what i can't get my head around is if he did kill her what would be the motive.

[hc4361]

To stop her telling people what he had done to her?
To enact a murderous fantasy?
Because he is a lunatic?
Because she 'wound him up' and he hit her?

Who knows what the motive could be.