Murder inquiry launched after body found in search for missing teenager

A murder investigation was launched after the body of 14-year-old Lilly was found in Blaina, ending a search that began when she was reported missing on Saturday, 20 June. Gwent Police said her family has been informed and officers are now appealing for information from the public.

Lilly was last seen in High Street, Blaina, at about 6:50pm on Saturday, wearing a long black dress and black sandals. Her body was discovered in the Duffryn Park area of the town at around 10:10pm on Monday, 22 June, according to police.

Blaina is in Blaenau Gwent in south Wales, about 18 miles north of Cardiff. The case has drawn immediate concern in the community as detectives continue to piece together Lilly’s final movements and the circumstances that led to the discovery in Duffryn Park.

Detective Chief Inspector Steven Thomas said the investigation would affect local people deeply. “We understand that this will cause distress and concern amongst our communities,” he said. Police have urged anyone who knows anything about what happened to contact Gwent Police or Crimestoppers.

Gwent Police has named the victim only as Lilly while formal identification details have not been publicly released. The focus of the inquiry is now on the hours between her last sighting on Blaina’s High Street and the discovery of her body two days later, a period that has prompted a murder inquiry and a wider appeal for witnesses.