April Jones: Parents fears over April’s body

THE parents of five-year-old April Jones have spoken of their fear that killer Mark Bridger may never reveal where their daughter’s body is.
April Jones. Picture: PAApril Jones. Picture: PA
April Jones. Picture: PA

Bridger, 47, kidnapped April last October before sexually abusing her, murdering her and then disposing of her body.

Paul and Coral Jones said there is “no way” that Bridger will tell them where their daughter is – and they will not give him the satisfaction of asking.

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Mrs Jones said: “It’s the not knowing that’s the hardest part. It’s my worst nightmare come true.

“We haven’t got a body to give April a proper burial and that breaks my heart.

“Lots of people have questioned him, but he’s refused to tell us all along. If he’s lied to police, barristers, the judge, there’s no way he will tell me where my little girl is.”

Police believe Bridger dismembered April’s body before dumping the body parts at various locations in the hills, rivers and forests surrounding his home in Cienws, mid-Wales after traces of her blood were found all over his rented cottage, along with bone fragments.

The couple hope the coroner will give them the bone pieces in order to carry out a symbolic funeral.

Mr Jones said: “It’s all we’ve got and it’s looking like all we’ll ever get. It’s so, so hard.”

He added: “It was just a sexual fantasy for him at the end of the day, and our April paid for it with her life.”

One of the most distressing parts of the trial for the couple was having to hear Bridger say their daughter’s name, and refer to her as “little April”.

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The couple said they had known the “child-murdering coward” whose son is at the same school as their children.

However, they never had any reason to think he was “weird”, they added.

Mrs Jones compared their ordeal to that of Winnie Johnson, whose son Keith Bennett was killed by Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley but Keith’s body was never found.

She said: “He’s put a hole in our heart. He ripped a happy family apart. He’s evil.”

Bridger, a former slaughterhouse worker, was given a whole life sentence by trial judge Mr Justice Griffith Williams after he was convicted by a jury at Mold Crown Court of April’s abduction and murder and of perverting the course of justice by unlawfully disposing, destroying or concealing her body.

April had been playing with friends close to her home on the Bryn Y Gog estate in Machynlleth, mid-Wales,
when Bridger enticed her into his car.

Officers found numerous indecent images on the computer, as well as pictures of young female murder victims, including Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the victims of Soham killer Ian Huntley.

Bridger also had images of young Machynlleth girls, including April and her half-sisters, and had asked to be friends with some on Facebook.

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