The father of one of serial killer Christopher Halliwell’s victims spotted police combing the plot of land where his daughter’s bones were discovered more than ten years ago.
Becky Godden’s father visited the field in Eastleach, Gloucestershire, on Friday (April 8) to lay flowers on her memorial cross.
John Godden, 63, was stunned to find police on the farmer’s plot, examining an area of ground marked with red flags – where they found some of his daughter’s remains in 2011, and more bones in 2014.
Halliwell led police to the location of Becky’s body after he was arrested for the murder of Sian O’Callaghan in 2011.
But her skull and arms were missing, sparking concerns that the killer taxi driver may have revisited the site and partially removed some body parts.
Mr Godden says he spotted the police in Oxo Bottom Field on Friday, just four days after Becky would have celebrated her 40th birthday if she were still alive.
He said: “I go to Eastleach every week to lay fresh flowers at the cross I put down there for Becky and I just saw the police in the field.
“My immediate thought was that they are looking for bones.
“I spotted three of them walking across the field in a formation. There were some red marker flags dotted around, and probably ten cars in the field as well.
“If they’d done the job properly in the first place, we wouldn’t be down this road. They’re 12 years too late.”
Mr Goddon believes Wiltshire Police are trying to close the case by formally identifying more bones found at the location in 2014.
He added: “Like I said to them, you’re not going to get DNA out of them.
“On the first set of bones that were found there, it took months to DNA out of them and these ones have been left much longer. DNA’s not infallible.
“They were talking about getting an anthropologist to look at these new bones, to see if they are Becky’s.
“It may not be conclusive on these bones, but they are going to get an opinion and then they will go to the coroner.
“Their indication is that they’re not going to get anything out of them. They want to close the case, but I said the case will never be closed.”
READ MORE: Man found dead at Wiltshire homeless hostel after suspected drugs overdose
Mr Godden was only informed about the work three days after he saw the police at the location, labelling it “ridiculous policing”.
“They should have contacted me telling me that they were going to Eastleach, and given me some sort of warning”, he added.
Wiltshire Police confirmed that there are no new developments in the case, but investigators hope to identify bone fragments found at the site in 2014 after advances in technology.
A force spokesperson said: “We attended Oxo Bottom Field on Friday (08/04) to carry out work to provide further context around circumstances and location of the recovered remains of Becky Godden-Edwards.
“Assessment of the location is part of a procedure to assess whether any developments in scientific capability could lead to any further opportunities to recover Becky’s remains.”
