Third body found in wreckage of burnt-out mansion
A third body has been found in the burnt-out Shropshire home of the millionaire businessman Christopher Foster, detectives said today.
West Mercia police said the remains were found in the main section of Osbaston House in Maesbrook, Shropshire, last night.
A Home Office pathologist attended the scene and confirmed that the remains were human.
Two bodies were discovered in the wreckage of the mansion, on the Welsh borders, at the weekend. One was identified as that of Foster's wife, Jill.
Police launched a murder investigation yesterday after it emerged that she had died from a gunshot wound to the head.
The second body, found nearby along with a rifle owned by Foster, is that of a man who has yet to be identified.
"The two bodies were found close to one another and the body of another dog [was] found nearby," Superintendent Gary Higgins, of West Mercia constabulary, said.
"The dog has also been subject of a postmortem examination, which revealed that it, too, had been shot."
Police said the removal of the third body would take some time, and a forensic archaeologist is due to visit the site today to assist with the operation.
"Work has now begun to extricate the body to allow formal identification and postmortem to take place," a West Mercia police spokesman said.
Detective Superintendent Jon Groves, who is leading the investigation, said police were "not able to release any further information [regarding] the body at this stage" but would do so once the postmortem examination had been carried out.
"The search and examination of the property is continuing and is still expected to take several days, possibly even weeks," he added. "I am grateful for the continued support of those living in the area."
Foster, 50, his 49-year-old wife and his 15-year-old daughter, Kirstie, have been missing since fire swept through the mansion early on Tuesday.
The family had been at a friend's barbecue and returned to the three-storey building on Monday evening.
It is understood that Kirstie was using an internet chatroom until 1am on Tuesday morning, when the power was cut.
Detectives say the fire began a few hours later, engulfing the house and outbuildings on the £1.2m estate.
When emergency services arrived, they found a horsebox, with its tyres punctured, parked in front of the electronic gates.
Forensic teams entered the wreckage of the house on Friday, but a fingertip search had to be halted on Saturday night amid fears that a section of the building could collapse.
Yesterday there was speculation that Foster, an oil tycoon who owed hundreds of thousands of pounds, may have killed his wife and daughter before setting fire to the house and turning the gun on himself.
Another theory was that the family had been killed by one of his business associates who was owed money.
However, Terence Baines, a former director of Foster's company, Ulva Ltd, said he believed that was unlikely.
"It's anyone's guess, but it seems that the people he owed money to are big companies and I can't see them behind something like this," Baines said. "[Maybe] he just flipped because the pressure of it was too much for him."
Detectives said they were following up several lines of inquiry, and an all-ports alert remained in place.
Foster made his money developing insulation technology for oil rigs, but was described as "bereft of the basic instincts of commercial morality" by a high court judge this year.
Court documents revealed that Ulva Ltd, which had gone into liquidation, faced legal action from one of its suppliers for thousands of pounds and also owed around £800,000 in tax.
According to local people, Foster was a well-known and apparently popular figure. His wife acted as company secretary for the faily business.
Yesterday, people gathered to say prayers for the family at nearby St John's church.
Addressing the congregation, the Reverend Prebendary David Austerberry said residents had been left "bewildered and stunned" by the tragedy.
"It is hard to grasp exactly what has happened, and it is clearly going to be some time before everything is revealed, but today we pray for the Fosters and their family and friends who must be devastated by the events of early last Tuesday morning," he said.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/sep/01/ukcrime1?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews
