Joy Morgan: Remains found in woodland may be missing student, police say
The midwifery student was murdered in December by a fellow church-goer, but the married father聽has not said where her body is.
Monday 7 October 2019 13:35, UK
Suspected human remains found in woodland on Saturday could be those of missing student Joy Morgan, police have said.
Ms Morgan, 20, was murdered in December by Shohfah-El Israel, but the married father has never revealed where her body is.
A Hertfordshire Police spokesman said it was "too early to say" if the "suspected human body" found in Chadwell Road, Stevenage, was Ms Morgan, but it "is a line of inquiry", the Evening Standard reported.
The force said: "Police were called by a member of the public at 7.43am on Saturday October 5 to reports of a suspected human body found in woodland off Chadwell Road, Stevenage.
"Officers are in attendance at the scene. No identification has been made at this time."
As Mr Israel, 40, who was christened Ajibola Shogbamimu, was jailed for 17 years in August at Reading Crown Court, Miss Morgan's mother, Carol, pleaded with him to reveal where her body was.
Outside the court, she said: "Give me my baby back, he knows where she is. The way I hear it, he was besotted with her ... if he loved her, give her back up to us so I can bury my daughter.
"If I get to see her before I die I'll be very grateful."
The pair met at the Israel United in Christ Church in Ilford, east London, and spent time alone together, which was against the church's strict rules.
Israel went to great lengths to cover his tracks by removing her number from a church Telegram group chat and visiting her student house share to check on her in the days after she apparently went missing.
Ms Morgan, who lived in Hatfield where she was studying to be a midwife at the University of Hertfordshire, was last seen at a church event in Ilford on Boxing Day and reported missing on 7 February after failing to return to her studies.