Man charged with murder after human remains found in storage unit

A man has been charged with murder five months after a Bedfordshire pensioner disappeared.

Pensioner Annette Smith, 74, went missing around November last year – and human remains were just discovered in a storage unit near Hertfordshire.

Scott Patterson, 44, was arrested on Tuesday in connection with Annette’s disappearance, and will appear at Luton Magistrate’s court today.

Annette’s next of kin have been informed, but formal identification has not been made.

Ms Smith was last seen wearing a black and white striped cardigan and red leather slip-on shoes.

She was carrying a suitcase and is thought to have got into a navy blue or black estate car with another woman.

DI Katie Dounias said: ‘This is clearly a distressing time for Annette’s friends, family and all those from the tight close-knit community she was from.

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‘Our thoughts are with them at this time and we have specialist officers supporting her loved ones. We are continuing to carry out extensive inquiries in relation to this complex investigation.’

Days ago, DCI Dale Mepstead, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: ‘We have been carrying out thorough inquiries into Annette’s disappearance and based on the information that we have, we are now treating this as a murder investigation.

‘We believe that Annette was last seen on or around November 11, 2023.

‘We are appealing for anyone who may have spoken with or seen Annette in early November to contact us, as well as anyone who may have any information about her.’

This is a developing news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

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