Man charged with murdering Louise Smith, 16, who was found dead in woodland
A man has been charged with murdering Louise Smith, 16, who disappeared from her home on VE Day.
Shane Lee Mays, 29, has been remanded in custody and will appear in court tomorrow morning.
Louise went missing from her home in Havant, Hampshire, on May 8.
Her body was found in woodland nearby on May 21.
She was described by a family friend as a ‘lovely girl with a heart of gold’.
Police have not yet released a cause of death and have been searching the area where she was found.
Hampshire Police said Mays, also of Havant, will appear at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court tomorrow.
A 29-year-old woman who was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender in connection with the investigation has been released on bail.
Mandy Ferdinando, who had known Louise since she was a young girl, previously said: ‘She was a lovely girl with a heart of gold.
‘The community is devastated, sad, shocked.
‘I can’t speak for everybody but when anyone hears of a young person, whoever it may be, it’s very sad.’
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