The body was found just 500 yards from her home. The arrest came two days later. Now a 14-year-old boy has been charged with murder.
Lilly Jones, also 14, was last seen on the High Street in Blaina, south Wales, at about 6.50pm on Saturday 20 June. When she failed to return home, the community rallied. More than 60 people searched the area that Monday night. At 10.10pm, her body was discovered in Duffryn Park, covered in undergrowth near the town’s bowls club.
“A 14-year-old boy has been charged with murder after the body of missing schoolgirl Lilly Jones was found in Blaina.”
“I searched very close to that spot and didn’t see anything, she must have been covered up,” said Katy Bennett, 44, a mother-of-two who joined the hunt. “There were about 60 of us out looking for her in that area on Monday night. The whole community rallied around.”
Police believe the body is Lilly, though formal identification is still pending. Her family has been informed. Floral tributes were left near the scene, and school friends were sent home early, with girls seen crying and hugging in the street.
Detective Chief Inspector Steven Thomas said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Lilly at this difficult time. We understand that there has been a great deal of interest in this ongoing investigation.
“It is vital that people consider how their language, especially comments made online, could affect our ability to bring anyone found to have committed a criminal offence to justice.”
The teenage suspect, described as white British and from the Blaenau Gwent area, cannot be named for legal reasons. He was remanded in custody and will appear at Newport Magistrates’ Court on Friday 26 June.
Jenny Hopkins of the Crown Prosecution Service stressed: “The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against this person are now active and that they have a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
Cordons remain in place at Duffryn Park as examinations of the scene continue. Thomas said there will still be a significant police presence in the area. “I would like to thank local residents for their continued support and those impacted by the cordons for their patience during this time.”
Lilly’s mother, nail technician Gemma Jones, had earlier made a desperate appeal for her daughter to come home. That appeal was never answered. Now the case moves to the courts.