Mother’s plea after daughter’s violent death
The mother of Becky Godden, whose remains were found in a field in the Cotswolds two years ago, begs the man she believes murdered her to “come clean”. Becky Emmett reports.
This morning a coroner ruled that Becky Godden most probably died an “unnatural and violent death”.
Outside court and fighting back tears, her mother, Karen Edwards, begged the man she believes murdered her daughter to do the right thing.
“I’d like to appeal to Christopher Halliwell – this is your chance now. Come clean, please, please, what have you got to lose?”
Becky Godden, also known as Becky Godden Edwards, was last seen at the end of 2002. Her parents never knew what had happened to her until 2011, when a taxi driver, Christopher Halliwell, led a police officer to her remains.
He had been arrested and was later jailed for life for the murder of another young woman, Sian O’Callaghan.
‘Another one’
After taking Wiltshire police to the site of Ms O’Callaghan’s remains, he asked the officer if he wanted “another one”. They then drove to a field on the Gloucestershire/Oxfordshire border. After careful digging, the police found Becky’s remains, and identified them by DNA.
But in a decision criticised heavily at the time, that evidence was ruled inadmissible because the police officer in charge had not cautioned Mr Halliwell, thereby contravening the police and criminal evidence act. In a terrible blow to the family, it was ruled that Mr Halliwell could not be tried for Becky’s murder.
The police officer, Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher, was suspended, to the outrage of Karen Edwards. Today she rejoiced on hearing that he has been reinstated, though he is no longer working on her daughter’s case.
Today’s inquest was the latest harrowing episode for a family tragically familiar with pain. Becky’s parents listened in court as post-mortem and other evidence was read out about the circumstances of her death.
I’d like to appeal to Christopher Halliwell – this is your chance now. Come clean, please, please, what have you got to lose? Karen Edwards
The coroner said it was impossible to know exactly when, how or why Becky died. Her body had been in the field for some time. Karen Edwards sobbed as she heard that her daughter’s head and arms and part of her feet were missing, possibly removed by scavenging animals, or upturned by a plough, or perhaps never buried there by her killer.
No conclusive answers
Having waited years to find out definitively what happened to their daughter, her parents did not get any conclusive answers today.
The coroner recorded a narrative verdict saying the medical cause of Becky’s death remains unascertained but, on the evidence he had heard, it was likely to have been unnatural and violent and by a third party, at the end of 2002 or early 2003.
Becky’s last days, months and years were chaotic. Her mother has talked movingly about her daughter’s descent into heroin addiction and how hard the family tried to get their Becky back.
The last known sighting of Becky was by a community beat officer who was recording details of street workers on a particular road in Swindon. It is thought Becky disappeared soon after that.
Her parents, however, always hoped she would return and were bolstered in that hope by false information from people who told them they had seen Becky over the years.
Karen Edwards bought and wrapped birthday and Christmas presents for her daughter every year after she disappeared, hoping one day she would be able to give them to her daughter.
Instead, in April 2011, on what would have been Becky’s 29th birthday, she was given the news that her daughter was dead.
Conviction
Today she said: “I feel that, as her mum, I will get to the root of this, even if it’s with the last breath in my body. I will get a conviction of some description.
“What I would like to do today is appeal to anybody out there who knows anything at all – any tiny, little bit of evidence – anything that may help to convict Becky’s murderer.
“This is still very much an open murder investigation. The police are working very, very hard behind the scenes and I would like to think that I am working with them. I want Becky’s murderer found and I want a conviction.”
Wiltshire police issued a statement today saying the investigation was open and ongoing.
“Our thoughts are with Becky’s family and it is our intention to do everything we can to ensure Becky’s family get the closure they deserve by bringing Becky’s killer to justice.”