UPDATE: Man arrested on suspicion murder in Katie Kenyon disappearance
Police are now working under the bases Katie Kenyon, missing from Burnley is 'no longer alive.'
A man arrested on suspicion of the kidnap of missing mum Katie Kenyon has this afternoon (Tuesday, April 26th) been further arrested on suspicion of her murder.
While Katie has not yet been found, and the search for her is continuing, detectives are now working on the basis that she is sadly no longer alive.
The enquiry has now shifted form a missing from home to a homicide investigation.
The 50-year-old man under arrest for Katie’s murder remains in custody where he is being questioned about her disappearance. Detectives are this evening making a further application to Burnley Magistrates Court to continue this male’s detention to 9pm tomorrow (Wednesday, April 27th).
Katie’s family have been informed of the latest developments and continue to be supported by specially trained officers.
A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said:
"We believe that at about 9.30am on Friday (April 22nd) a woman matching Katie’s description left an address on Todmorden Road, Burnley with a man and travelled in the silver Ford Transit (pictured) registration MT57 FLC to the Bolton by Bowland area. She has not been seen since.
"We continue to appeal to anyone who was in Bolton by Bowland, Gisburn Forest or that area and may have seen Katie, either in company or on her own, or who saw or has dashcam footage of a van matching the description to come forward and contact us."
Our Reporter Jamie Williamson has been in Gisburn Park throughout the day:
Det Supt Gary Brooks, Lancashire Police’s Head of Major Crime, said:
“While I hold some slim hope that Katie may still be found alive I’m sad to say that Katie has now been missing for over four days. Despite extensive police enquiries and media appeals we have not found Katie nor have there been any sightings of Katie.
“We have spoken to Katie’s family today and they are understandably extremely upset by this latest development and I have officers continuing to offer them support. My thoughts are with them at this time.
“We are continuing to search a number of different locations in connection with this investigation, including at Gisburn Forest and I am grateful to colleagues from Merseyside and North Wales, and other emergency service partners who are offering assistance in the these complex and wide-scale searches."