Found Deceased UK - Samantha Eastwood, 28, Stoke-on-Trent, 27 July 2018 *Arrest*

[Logic-lady]

It's odd that they didn't take the van until Sunday. I would if thought they would of searched the van when he was arrested on suspicion of kidnap. Maybe the van isn't his or listed as his.

Perhaps this also links to the assisting of an offender?

 

[Alyce]

Did she say when they had left? I couldn't find that, just that they had left for holidays and 20 minutes later the police showed up at the house. If they did leave on the Friday night it seems odd, why leave so late with a little one in tow? And how then did MS excuse himself to dispose of the body? ...not expecting you to have the answers by the way!

Neighbour said MS and family left about 20 minutes before police arrived at their house.
The call to the police from the hospital colleague re SE was at 7.20pm. So allow for police to first check SEs house, to be sure she is not there, then the visit to MS would probably be 8pm or thereabouts.
Possible scenario. MS and family depart for holiday ( I do think this was planned, due to roof box being put in place Thursday night ).
Wife and child in car, MS in van. All drive to g/mother house, to leave van on driveway ( probably usual procedure when going away ).
Then, instead of getting into car, MS tells wife there is a sudden emergency. Tells her to drive on to holiday venue ( probably Peak District or similar, only 40 mins drive away ) and says he will come along later.
This effectively means wife and child out of way - leaves MS free to drive to quarry at the right time as its getting dark.
After burial, returns either to own house or parents, calls or texts wife, says too late to drive to holiday venue now, will travel Saturday AM. Probably wants to clean van and recover from what he has had to do.
Then of course Saturday AM, news is everywhere re SE disappearance, so MS stays in Stoke to help with search and wife/child drive back home.

 

[Alyce]

It's odd that they didn't take the van until Sunday. I would if thought they would of searched the van when he was arrested on suspicion of kidnap. Maybe the van isn't his or listed as his.

Yes that is strange to leave it until SE body was found before taking the van. Perhaps, until they saw the cctv/ANPR, they didnt know about the van ( which he no doubt left parked in Gratton to keep it out of the way ) and only checked his car previously.

 

[truthfinder34]

Yes that is strange to leave it until SE body was found before taking the van. Perhaps, until they saw the cctv/ANPR, they didnt know about the van ( which he no doubt left parked in Gratton to keep it out of the way ) and only checked his car previously.

This van can't be listed as his then. Surely they would check any vehicle belonging to MS.
I'm intrigued as to the involvement of the other two suspects. have they been charged yet?

 

[Shiressleuth]

Also,


can't remember which specific cases followed on WS but can remember there's been plenty of expert evidence where it takes a great deal of top level expertise to distinguish beyond reasonable doubt, between suffocation & unintentional asphixyation. ( can't spell it now!)
Considering MS's evasions over the week 27th-4thAug,and with the presence of masking tape ( albeit not specified on mouth area in the press reports) speculating he'll come up with something as a defence of manslaughter when he needs to...

Just had a thought - maybe tape had been over her mouth at one point and she suffocated and died from it perhaps.

 

[Alyce]

I read the JP was also at SE house Friday night ( he could of possibly still been listed as next of kin for work) this would mean JP knew early on about SE missing status, I imagine he would contact his sister to ask if she was aware. It was also reported by neighbours that Jpand MS were conducting house enquiries Saturday in SE street. So I presume MS was back in stoke on trent on Saturday ( if he ever left at all).

I've thought about the other two suspects and I wondered if MS told KS he was going to see SS that night. She would of been asked about his whereabouts Friday night/day nd gave SS as his alibi.

Oh that's interesting. I didnt know JP was at the house on the Friday night.
I had read there had been no contact between SE and JP since the split, so I would have thought her mother and sister would be her listed next of kin.

Quite possible that MS gave SS as his alibi that night ( to KS ) and she then passed this on to the police.
That somewhat changes my possible theory in that they couldnt have all gone together to Gratton if that was the case. But it does make sense, that SS when questioned might then provide an alibi, saying MS was at his house all evening, when he was actually out for a couple of hours 9 - 11pm.

 

[cottonweaver]

That scenario works. Add in the likelihood that JP in this emergency situation phones his sis KS about missing SE


Soon after JP & midwife friend have checked the house/ had a conversation about MS's threats, probably around same time in the evening.

KS then speaks to MS about this, even if by mobile/they are apart heading in different destinations and he says wtte stay with dau away from this, I'll help at this end, in Stoke....

Admittedly it's also very possible she had her phone switched off whilst driving with a daughter though and didn't find JP's voicemails til she got to her destination.

 

[Alyce]

This van can't be listed as his then. Surely they would check any vehicle belonging to MS.
I'm intrigued as to the involvement of the other two suspects. have they been charged yet?

Very true - perhaps it is registered to the as yet unnamed 28 year old.
Not heard any more about SS and the 28 yr old, only that they are on bail.

 

[Shiressleuth]

and


+ dehydrate tissues if salt is concentrated in this "shallow grave" environment.

Also , he clearly has tried to hide this body if he was willing to make a grave ( not just secreted in undergrowth) but even as a fencing man with all the tools in the back of van(?), not enough to dig a deep one. ( In a rush/ just sloppy?)

I think one newspaper described it as a ditch so it may not have involved much digging and as he was a gardener, he likely already had garden waste he could have covered her with. MOO.

 

[Kylelay]

I think this points at it being spur of the moment, nothing planned and then he had to quickly try and cover what he had done.

With the non obvious cause of death I'm to feel he may have tried to sexually assault her and she suffocated. This happens quite often when for instance a man abducts a child due to him being physically stronger and trying to subdue the child.

I’m leaning towards this too, I wonder if that’s why two experts will take 6+ months to examine SE’s neck - to determine whether she was strangled or suffocated.
My mother in law was repeatedly sexually abused by her uncle who covered her face with a pillow or his hand to stop her from screaming. A couple of times she was smothered until she blacked out, leaving her with brain damage, a little bit longer and she would have died.

 

[cottonweaver]

that's horrendous Kylelay.

 

[truthfinder34]

That scenario works. Add in the likelihood that JP in this emergency situation phones his sis KS about missing SE


Soon after JP & midwife friend have checked the house/ had a conversation about MS's threats, probably around same time in the evening.

KS then speaks to MS about this, even if by mobile/they are apart heading in different destinations and he says wtte stay with dau away from this, I'll help at this end, in Stoke....

Admittedly it's also very possible she had her phone switched off whilst driving with a daughter though and didn't find JP's voicemails til she got to her destination.

Would JP do house enquiries with MS knowing he had threatens her? I don't think JP was aware of this.

 

[Flowers32]

Poor little lamb.

As regards SE's mobile phone I saw someone questioning a few pages back whether it had been found and I didn't see a response. There's been no mention of it but I'd imagine it's the first thing MS would have disposed of as it will contain evidence as to the motive for what has happened. Then again if he was really planning to murder her he seems to have bungled it so badly he probably still had her phone in his pocket when he was arrested.

 

[jessie]

I’m leaning towards this too, I wonder if that’s why two experts will take 6+ months to examine SE’s neck - to determine whether she was strangled or suffocated.
My mother in law was repeatedly sexually abused by her uncle who covered her face with a pillow or his hand to stop her from screaming. A couple of times she was smothered until she blacked out, leaving her with brain damage, a little bit longer and she would have died.

Oh Kylelay how dreadful. I hope the uncle was prosecuted for such an awful crime. Thank you for sharing j x

 

[Shiressleuth]

I wonder if her missing phone and bag were in the duvet cover with her body.

 

[truthfinder34]

I’m leaning towards this too, I wonder if that’s why two experts will take 6+ months to examine SE’s neck - to determine whether she was strangled or suffocated.
My mother in law was repeatedly sexually abused by her uncle who covered her face with a pillow or his hand to stop her from screaming. A couple of times she was smothered until she blacked out, leaving her with brain damage, a little bit longer and she would have died.

with the sexual theory I struggle with the fact that SE knew him very well. She would be able to report him to the police. unless that's why he did go on to to kill her.

Have the screams at 2pm been proven? I can't help but think MS had a key. ive worked nights myself and I would imagine that SE was in bed when MS arrived. ( unless he was waiting when she got home) she worked 12 hour shifts and from experience midwives are on their feet for a lot of this. Say she arrived home just after 8 by the time she had got ready for bed etc it would be roughly 9am earliest. Would she be awake at 2pm if she had a bit shift that night?!

My other thinking is was he waiting for her when she got home. Did he apply the masking tape and at 2pm she was able to scream he panicked and strangled her. Also were the screams female or male?!ĺ

there are so many posibilites with this case. I believe the police released certain info to make MS sweat.

 

[Kylelay]

Oh Kylelay how dreadful. I hope the uncle was prosecuted for such an awful crime. Thank you for sharing j x

Unfortunately the uncle died before she was brave enough to tell anyone. She only recently told my husband and myself, a lot of her ‘quirks’ were understandable once she had though.

 

[JosieJo]

Just had a thought - maybe tape had been over her mouth at one point and she suffocated and died from it perhaps.

I was thinking also that tape could have been over her mouth at some point

 

[truthfinder34]

I was thinking also that tape could have been over her mouth at some point

if SE died of suffocation he could of moved the tape from her mouth to check if she was breathing - meaning the tape was on her face not mouth anymore

 

[jessie]

I’m leaning towards this too, I wonder if that’s why two experts will take 6+ months to examine SE’s neck - to determine whether she was strangled or suffocated

RSBM

I'm not thinking it will take these experts 6 months to perform examinations - rather that specialist pathology experts are few and far between and therefore in great demand all over the world.
It must require very detailed specialist knowledge in these circumstances so these experts just not immediately available to carry out investigations at a moments notice.