Has body of missing mum been found 15 years on?
FORENSIC experts were last night trying to establish if human remains found near a stately home are those of a mother who has been missing for 15 years.
The family of Louise Tiffney was informed of the grim discovery, made by a cyclist in an area beside the A198, near Gosford House, East Lothian, on Sunday evening.
The remains were in undergrowth near the entrance of the Longniddry estate, which has been used in the filming of television drama series Outlander.
Miss Tiffney was last seen leaving her home in Dean Village, Edinburgh, on May 27, 2002. Following the disappearance of the 43-year-old laundrette worker, her son, Sean Flynn, was arrested after traces of her blood were allegedly found in his car.
A murder charge against the then
‘Detailed forensic analysis
21-year-old was found not proven by a jury at the High Court in Perth in 2005.
In the same year, Miss Tiffney’s family begged police to search the grounds of Gosford House for her body.
Parts of the 60,000-acre estate had already been searched for the mother-oftwo, along with other nearby beauty spots.
Speaking to the Sun on Monday, Miss Tiffney’s sister, June Tiffney, 59, said: ‘Learning of these remains takes me back to the time when she first went missing.
‘It was an area that was searched thoroughly by police at the time.
‘I used to go out on my own and search East Lothian and my family are the same. It made me ill.
‘I really hope these remains are my sister. Our family has suffered a lot of loss over the years. I want my sister to be found or we will never get closure and give her a proper funeral.’
As investigations continued at the site yesterday, Detective Superintendent Pat Campbell said: ‘We are consulting a number of experts to ensure that the remains are recovered in a sensitive and careful manner, and no evidence that helps us to establish what happened is damaged or missed.
‘I understand the anxiety of those who may be waiting for news of a missing loved one, but while the identity of the remains is unknown, we cannot speculate.
‘I want to again reassure the public that when we have new information we will act upon it and inform the next of kin of any person who is relevant to the investigation; this has been taking place and updates have been given.
‘The death is being treated as unexplained and once the remains are recovered there will be significant detailed forensic analysis required to establish the cause of death and whether any crime has been committed.’
Local area commander Chief Inspector Matt Paden said: ‘The discovery at the weekend has caused both curiosity and concern, and my officers are available to speak to in the area, carrying out additional patrols.
‘We are supporting the specialist teams involved in the recovery and the investi gation. We are committed to returning the area to normal as soon as our inquiries have finished.
‘Local diversions are in place and we have been liaising with transport partners to ensure people can go about their daily business. I’m very grateful for the support we have received.’
In 2002, Mr Flynn was said to have had an argument with mother, and claimed that she ‘stormed out’. He reported her missing the next day, sparking a huge manhunt which saw Miss Tiffney’s other child, Hannah – then aged six – make a heartbreaking television appeal for her mother, saying: ‘Please come home, Mummy.’