Remains may have answer (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Remains may have answer

WILTSHIRE police have promised an examination of drug addict Rachel Whitear's remains would be thorough after announcing plans to exhume her body.

At a press conference on Thursday, Det Ch Supt Paul Howlett said the exhumation could finally pinpoint how 21-year-old Miss Whitear died.

Parents Mick and Pauline Holcroft agreed to their daughter's body being re-examined after a forensic medical expert said tests could still shed light on how she died.

Wiltshire police launched an investigation, supervised by the Police Complaints Authority, last year after Miss Whitear's parents raised concerns over the original inquiry carried out by Devon and Cornwall police.

Trowbridge detective Chris Conway is liaising closely with Miss Whitear's family to ensure they are kept up-to-date with every step of this fresh inquiry.

DCS Howlett, head of Wiltshire CID, said: "I am still unable to ascertain with any degree of certainty the cause of Rachel's death. Rachel was buried without any post mortem examination of her body being conducted beforehand."

An inquest recorded an open verdict as a coroner ruled Miss Whitear did not have a fatal amount of heroin in her blood at the time of her death.

The former Bath University student was found in May 2000 on the floor of her bedsit in Devon. She was clutching a syringe in one hand.

Mrs Holcroft said she wants to finally find out the truth about how her daughter died.

"It is very upsetting. All we really want is closure on it, but we know that may never happen.

"We feel there may be an opportunity to get more information regarding her death. Because of that we feel we must say yes."