A 56-year-old man has been rearrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder and further arrested on suspicion of murder following the identification of human remains as those of Joanne Sheen, a mother-of-three who vanished in December 2019.
Sheen, who was 44 at the time, was last seen on 5 December 2019 when she travelled from Fareham to Southampton with a friend. According to local news reports, the investigation is now being treated as murder, with detectives working to establish exactly what happened to her.
Bones were discovered in shrubland at Padstow Walk in Feltham, south-west London, on 12 August 2026, a week after a wildfire had damaged the area. The remains were found by a member of the public at the site near Bedfont Lakes Country Park. DNA testing and forensic examination confirmed the remains belonged to Joanne Sheen on 17 September 2026.
The man from Southampton was first arrested in 2020 and has now been released on conditional bail following the latest arrests. A second man, also 56 and from Southampton, was released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.
Sheen's family reported her missing in February 2020, two months after she was last seen. Her disappearance prompted a major investigation by the Metropolitan Police, which generated more than 4,000 lines of inquiry, resulted in more than 300 statements being taken, and involved detailed searches at more than 10 addresses using numerous vessels. Officers noted at the time that Sheen had no fixed address and did not own a vehicle or hold a bank account.
An investigation in 2020 led to a number of arrests on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, but no charges were brought and the case remained unsolved until the discovery of the remains.
London Fire Brigade attended a fire at Bedfont Pits on 5 August 2026 that damaged approximately two hectares of shrubland. The wildfire exposed the site where the remains were subsequently located. Following identification of the remains, the Metropolitan Police handed the investigation over to Hampshire Police.
What happens next?
Detectives are continuing inquiries to establish how Sheen came to be in Feltham and to identify anyone responsible for her death. According to reports on the case, Crimestoppers has reinstated a £20,000 reward for information that leads to arrests. The reward is set to run for three months from its reinstatement and remains available for anyone with information about the circumstances of Sheen's disappearance and death.
Key Facts
- Joanne Sheen, 44, was last seen on 5 December 2019 travelling from Fareham to Southampton
- Human remains were found on 12 August 2026 in shrubland at Padstow Walk in Feltham, south-west London, following a wildfire
- DNA and forensic testing confirmed the remains belonged to Sheen on 17 September 2026
- A 56-year-old man from Southampton has been rearrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder and murder; a second man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder
- A £20,000 Crimestoppers reward is available for information leading to arrests in the case
