Murder of Debbie Griggs
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Debbie Griggs was a 34 years old woman who disappeared from her family home in Deal, Kent, on 5 May 1999. She was married with Andrew Griggs and was pregnant at the time of her disappearance. The marriage had previously produced three sons.[1] [2]
Investigations and trial
Her husband Andrew Griggs was an initial suspect in the Police's investigation into her disappearance; however, the Crown Prosecution Service found in 2003 that the evidence submitted to them offered "no realistic prospect of conviction". A new investigation began in 2018, upon which Andrew was later charged and found guilty of her murder following a trial held at Canterbury Crown Court. Griggs was handed a life sentence with a minimum tariff of 20 years.[3]
Possible motive
Debbie had discovered her husband was grooming a 15 year old girl and wasn't willing to cover up for him.[1] It seems he feared she would get half the family freezer business if she divorced him over the abuse.[1]
Rediscovery of remains
Her remains were discovered in 2022 after a tipoff to police.[4] Her remains were found in the back garden of a house in St Leonards, Dorset where her husband had moved to after the initial investigation.[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Griffiths, Rhys (2022-10-17). "Debbie Griggs murder: How the tragedy unfolded over 23 years". KentOnline. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
- ^ "Debbie Griggs: Remains found of woman murdered by husband in 1999".
- ^ Williams, McLennan (30 October 2019). "Andrew Griggs: The wife killer who escaped justice for 20 years". BBC News. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- ^ a b "Remains of woman murdered over 20 years ago found in English garden". RTÉ News. 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-18.