Second 'murder' arrest after remains of mother-of-three were found following wildfire seven years after she vanished

A second man has been arrested on suspicion of murder over the death of a woman whose remains were found following a wildfire this summer - seven years after she vanished. Mother-of-three Joanne Sheen, 44, had not been seen since December 5, 2019, when she travelled from Fareham, Hampshire, back to her home city of Southampton with a friend. But on the evening of August 12 this year, Metropolitan Police officers were called to near Padstow Walk in Feltham, south west London, after bones were found by a member of the public near shrubland. The area had been affected by a wildfire - one of many which raged across the UK this summer amid repeated heatwaves and extreme temperatures. Scotland Yard initially launched a murder investigation, but handed over the case to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary after the remains were identified as those of Ms Sheen. The discovery came after extensive forensic examination and DNA testing of the remains. On Thursday, a 56-year-old man from Southampton was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. He has since been bailed with conditions, pending further enquiries. On Sunday, the force confirmed that a second 56-year-old man from Southampton has been re-arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. He has been bailed with conditions, pending further enquiries. Joanne Sheen (pictured), 44, had not been seen since she travelled from Fareham, Hampshire, heading to her home city of Southampton, on December 5, 2019 Police near to the scene, where the human remains of Ms Sheen were found in woodland in Feltham, south-west London The remains were found by a member of the public after the nearby land was affected by a recent wildfireBoth men were initially detained on Thursday, September 17. Known as 'Little Jo', the victim who was barely over 5ft tall was reported missing by her family in February 2020, after they had not heard from her for several months.In September 2020, Joanne's daughters Layla and Hayley - who were 22 and 25 at the time - made a number of appeals in the months after she disappeared, saying that not knowing what had happened to their mother was 'turmoil'. Hayley said at the time: 'You can't imagine what it is like with a loved one, when you don't know where they are, you don't know if they're okay. 'Your mind is always turning on every single possibility that could've happened. It's like turmoil but every day is the same. It just starts over every day.' Her sister Layla said their mother was a lovely person, describing her as: 'very approachable. Full of joy and full of life. She is really friendly and has got a bit of a spark'. They said it was not out of character for Joanne to occasionally not make contact with her family for some weeks, but as time went by they became increasingly concerned. In November 2020, police revealed they believed Joanne was a sex worker in Southampton around the time she went missing. Joanne was reported missing by her family in February 2020, after they had not heard from her for several monthsOfficers combed the streets where she was believed to have worked, including a nearby river and woodland in a bid to uncover anything but were unable to locate Joanne. That month, police arrested five men and one woman on conspiracy to murder. By late 2021, police officially closed these files, confirming that all six were released with no further action due to a lack of evidence. Police carried out extensive inquiries probing more than 4,000 lines of enquiry, taking more than 300 statements and carrying out detailed searches at more than 10 addresses and numerous vessels. Specialist teams have also searched waterways and woodland around Southampton. Detective Chief Inspector Toby Elcock, from the major crime team, said on Thursday of the arrests: 'This is a significant development in what has been a long and complex investigation and provides us with several new lines of enquiry, which we are exploring with our dedicated team.'While this tragic discovery is not the outcome Joanne's family, or any of us, had hoped for, we hope the identification of her remains can at least begin to provide some answers after many years of uncertainty.'Throughout this investigation, Joanne's family have shown tremendous strength and dignity in the face of unimaginable circumstances, and our thoughts remain with them at this incredibly difficult time.'He continued: 'As our investigation progresses, we remain committed to establishing exactly what happened to Joanne and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.'There may still be people who have information about Joanne's disappearance, her movements before she went missing, or how she came to be in Feltham.'The passage of time does not lessen the importance of that information. No matter how small or insignificant it may seem, we would urge anyone who may know something to come forward.'We understand that coming forward may feel difficult, particularly if you are worried about the consequences, but we are asking you to think about the family who are left without their loved one and who are waiting for answers. Please do the right thing. If you know something, now is the time to come forward.'We are also pleased that Crimestoppers has agreed to reinstate its £20,000 reward offer in support of our investigation. If anyone has information but does not feel comfortable speaking directly to police, I would encourage them to contact Crimestoppers anonymously.'A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed that the remains were found by a member of the public after the nearby land was affected by a recent wildfire. The site is close to Bedfont Lakes Country Park.Shrubbery appeared to have been burned at a woodland area close to where the police crime scene was in place last month and a large patch of the ground was charred. An incident log on The London Fire Brigade's website showed that four fire engines and about 25 firefighters had tackled a grass fire in the area on August 5. About two hectares of shrubland were damaged in the blaze.