Detectives say man being held over death of Sian O'Callaghan pinpointed remains of another woman
Police investigating the murder of Sian O'Callaghan are working to identify the remains of a second young woman who was found buried in a field in Gloucestershire.
Detectives confirmed that they had discovered human remains at a spot pinpointed by a man arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering O'Callaghan, 22, who came from Swindon.
The officer leading the investigation, Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher, said the suspect had told him that he had "taken" a young woman from the Swindon area between 2003 and 2005 and killed her.
Speaking at a press conference, Fulcher said the man could not remember the exact date or even the year but had been able to identify the field at Eastleach, near Cirencester, about 15 miles north of Swindon.
The dates do not tally with any missing person inquiries in Swindon and police are not saying if they think they know who she was.
Fulcher revealed more tests were needed to establish how O'Callaghan, an office administrator, had been killed. He said that "at this time" there was no indication she had been sexually assaulted.
Fulcher gave further details of the hunt for O'Callaghan, who went missing after leaving the Suju nightclub in Swindon in the early hours of last Saturday.
He said CCTV cameras on the High Street in the Old Town area of Swindon had caught a vehicle passing her, then coming back and stopping next to her. Police arrested the suspect after identifying the vehicle as a green Toyota Avensis estate car with taxi markings.
The arrested man ? named locally as Swindon taxi driver Chris Halliwell ? led police to a spot near Uffington in Oxfordshire, 12 miles east of Swindon, where O'Callaghan's body was found.
Police have said they believe O'Callaghan was taken to the Savernake Forest, near Marlborough, 12 miles south of Swindon, before being moved to the site near Uffington.
Fulcher asked for anyone who was out poaching or "lamping" (hunting using a bright light) in Ramsbury, near Marlborough, on the night O'Callaghan disappeared to come forward if they had seen a Toyota Avensis or any suspicious activity.
He said: "I want to stress that we only want information from you that is relevant to the Sian O'Callaghan inquiry. We are not interested in prosecuting anyone for lamping or poaching."
Ramsbury is a few miles north of the forest.
Fulcher then told reporters: "This individual also indicated to me that he killed a young woman at some point between 2003 and 2005. He couldn't be specific about the dates or the year but he was able to give me the exact location of the body. He told me that a young woman had been taken by him from the Swindon area."
Chief Superintendent Steve Hedley said police were working hard to identify the second body. He said: "Let's not forget that Sian's family are grieving and at some point another family will also be grieving. We will make every effort to identify the second person as soon as possible."
It is possible that police, friends and family of the second woman never knew she was in Swindon before disappearing and she may not have been reported missing. The Missing People charity says 250,000 people disappear in the UK every year.
Earlier on Saturday, police were given more time to question the 47-year-old suspect. Detectives now have until 3.15am on Monday to question him. He remains in custody at Gablecross police station in Swindon.
Tributes continued to pour in for O'Callaghan. Family friend Veronica Cooper said: "It's all such a shock ? I can't believe it. All my family knew her. She was such a lovely, bubbly, kind person. It's such a horrible thought to think it could happen. I'm glad that she's at peace now."
A lantern vigil was taking place in Swindon Old Town on Saturday night.
Floral tributes placed outside the Suju nightclub by O'Callaghan's friends and Swindon residents were cleared from the doorway to allow it to reopen, with the agreement of her family.
Meanwhile, it was claimed that members of Halliwell's family had received death threats since his arrest.
Louise Laveridge who was placing flowers in Sian's memory outside the Suju nightclub said: "I have heard that the wife and kids are getting death threats. That's wrong."
A police spokesman said that the force would not comment on those claims, but added: "If she has been receiving death threats we will be dealing with it appropriately."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/26/sian-ocallaghan-murder-police-second-body
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