Shorouk Express
Human remains have been discovered in park shrubland nearly two years after a father disappeared.
Stefan Watkins, 47, was reported missing on May 23, 2023, having not been seen for several weeks by his partner or young son.
He was last seen leaving his home in Warwick on May 6, 2023, during a street party to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III.
Warwickshire Police said they had believed this to be his last known location, until officers received reports that Mr Watkins was seen in an area of Hillfields, Coventry, on May 7.
A body was discovered in Charterhouse Fields on Saturday afternoon, having been forensically recovered, and will now be subject to a post-mortem.
Warwickshire Police have not confirmed the human remains belong to Mr Watkins but announced last week they were searching the Coventry area as part of their ongoing investigation into his disappearance.
A force spokesman said: “Formal identification has yet to take place, however we have updated Stefan’s next of kin and family with this latest development.”
Detectives believed Stefan was attacked a short time after leaving the party and a £20,000 Crimestoppers reward was offered last summer to help find his body.
A 45-year-old woman from Warwick was arrested in June last year on suspicion of conspiracy to murder and was bailed pending further enquiries.
A relative of Mr Watkin’s partner told The Independent: “He’s been with my aunt for so many years, she is really distraught. He was really popular in Coventry and Warwickshire where he had a lot of friends.”
Close friend Rob Mullagan said he set up a funeral fundraiser for Mr Watkins, who also went by “Lee Lee”.
He told The Independent: “All we could do was keep him in our prayers. Unfortunately we just had to let the police do ongoing investigations and let them do their job.
“He was a nice man who has left behind a partner and a young child.”
Police said they feared he had come to harm after he was seen on CCTV leaving his front gate. He was seen speaking to a person with a walking stick before avoiding a child playing in the street – closed off to celebrate King Charles’ coronation. He is last seen walking out of shot on his own.
Jordana Marshall, Stefan’s partner and mother to his infant son Aston, appeared on Channel 5 show Vanished: The search for Britain’s Missing six months after he disappeared.
“The energy that he brought to the house, that was the best,” Ms Marshall said.
“He was the best person and for that to not be here is hard. To finally have Aston, which is his first born, it’s a miracle.
“It’s really hard to explain to him that daddy is not here.”
