Body found in caravan confirmed as sex offender wanted over woman’s murder
A body discovered inside a caravan has been confirmed as a wanted sex offender.
A body discovered inside a caravan has been confirmed as sex offender Richard Scatchard who is wanted by police.
The 70-year-old from Minehead, Somerset, went missing after the death of Kelly Faiers in October last year.
She was found dead at Scatchard’s home address.
Now a body found on Thursday in a caravan near Cleeve Hill in Watchet, Somerset, has been confirmed as Scatchard, the police said.
He went missing from his home address on October 15 last year following the death of 61-year-old Faiers, from Weston-super-Mare.
The police previously warned that Scatchard, who was convicted of sexual offences in which he administered drugs to his victims, posed a serious risk to women with whom he formed relationships.
The sex offender was evading a recall to prison and he was also wanted in connection with the murder probe.
Scatchard had been dead for some time when the body was found.
His cause of death was confirmed as inconclusive.
But the investigators are ‘not aware at this time of there being any suspicious circumstances’, Detective Superintendent Gary Haskins from Avon and Somerset Police said.
Now the force will refer itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
This is because officers spoke to Scatchard at the scene of Faiers’s death just moments before he disappeared.
Her daughter Jazz said she felt angry at the news, with the family having faced a difficult five and a half months.
She said: ‘We have a conclusion but we don’t have closure.
‘All of this could have been prevented if he was taken for questioning by police on the day.
‘Our innocent, loving mum didn’t get the justice she deserved and that hurts us all.
‘We miss her, we understand nothing will bring her back but she deserved so much more.’
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