April Jones’ father died and the body of his missing daughter was not found.
The destructive father of the murdered schoolgirl in April, Paul Jones, died at the age of 56 – the five-year-old had been snatched from outside the family home for nearly 13 years.
Mr. Jones suffers from encephalitis – a serious disease that causes swelling in the brain.
Jones murdered by Mark Bridger
Night standard
Five-year-old April had been playing bikes outside her family home in Maxness, Wales when she was kidnapped.
She was killed by pedophile Mark Bridger in October 2012, but he refused to tell police what he did to her body.
The officer recovered only fragments of the skull from his fireplace, but never found the rest of her body (thought scattered around the countryside).
Now her father, Mr. Jones, has passed away.
Paul’s step-daughter Jazz Jones wrote on Facebook Tuesday: “My brother and I want people to know that our father (Paul Jones) died this morning.
“It was very unexpected and we were all shocked.”
Here is a timeline for key incidents since the disappearance of five-year-old April Jones.
7pm – Playing with friends from CRRC town Machynlleth when they disappeared in April. According to witnesses, she was taken away with a van or four-wheel drive vehicle, with no obvious signs of struggle.
10:30 p.m. – Stained Powys police issued a statement saying: “We are increasingly worried about the missing five-year-old who ran on a bike in Machynlleth for the last time. He was found driving into a light-colored van when it drove out a light-colored van.” Hundreds of local volunteers joined the search for the little girl, boosting publicity on Twitter and Facebook.
8.30am – Police revealed more information about the disappearance in April. The troops said: “Her kidnapping was held at the Bryn-Y-Gog estate in Machynlleth at about 7 p.m. It was another toddler witness when April saw April riding in a gray or light-colored van or truck-sized vehicle.
“At the time of disappearance, April was wearing a purple knee coat with grey fur, her school white polo top and black pants.”
Local support for search efforts continues to use the Binmen Downing tool to help. The leisure center is used as a coordination point.
12 p.m. – Detective principal Reg Bevan from the stained Powys police told reporters that it seems that April is willing to enter the vehicle. He said officials are addressing the “exquisite and time-consuming” mission to talk to April’s children when she was kidnapped.
He also increased the possibility of driving with his left hand, as it appears April has already entered the driver’s side.
Police said they wanted to make sure search volunteers were used in a coordinated manner.
4.30 pm – Police announced that a 46-year-old man was arrested for kidnapping. Bevin said he was detained at 3.30 p.m. and walked along the roadside several miles outside Machynlleth. Bevin said he lives in the local area and has a vehicle similar to what witnesses who saw the kidnapping in April. He also said the car had been recovered. He said the police’s priority is to find out April is still alive.
6pm – A special vigil was held at St Peter Church in Machynlleth, where prayers were spoken and lit for the five-year-old to return safely.
7.45pm – The person who appeared to be arrested when her family knew about the kidnapping in April.
8 p.m. – He was named Mark Bridger by source, 46.
9.30 p.m.-April family issued a statement through police, saying their lives were “broken.”
The statement Mr. Bevin read said: “Last night, when our beautiful little girl was playing with friends in April, our lives were broken. We were destroyed by us and our lives had stopped. Please, if you have our little girl, please let her go home.”
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
7.30 a.m. – The overnight search involved 40 trained police officers, dog hands and mountain rescue teams, but no news was generated in April’s whereabouts. Principal Ian John thanked the public for their efforts and warned of “challenging conditions” asking people to leave searches to “our well-trained and skilled team members.”
10.30am – Police released a photo of Mark Bridger, 46, and confirmed his identity of the “final guess”. They also released photos of his Land Rover discovery, which was seized from a repair garage in Machynlleth.
12.30pm – April mother Coral Jones made an emotional plea for any information that would help search. Ms. Jones, accompanying her stepfather Dai Smith, said: “It’s been 36 hours since April was taken away. Someone must know where she is and can help the police find her. We urgently found her news. We urgently need any news. April is only five years old. Please help her, please help her.”
6.30 pm – April Jones is revealed to regularly play with Bridger’s daughter, who is questioning her disappearance.
6.40 pm – Bridge’s son appeared to join the April search before his father was arrested by police. Scott Williams said he had spent most of his life estranged from his 46-year-old father, only seeing him a few months before his disappearance in April.
The 11.30pm detective will ask Bridger for an additional 12 hours.
5.30 pm – Principal Ian John said he was “very excited” when the troops received more than 2,500 calls with information and investigators.
At 11 a.m., police appealed that they were trying to “patch together” Bridge’s moves as the five-year-old was interviewed again.
4.30pm – The pink ribbon appeared on Machynlleth’s house, which was a shocking fight as her mother called on people to wear pink ribbons, a solidarity for April.
10.30am – Bevin revealed Bridge was arrested on suspicion of murder.
12pm – It was revealed that the murder suspect Mark Bridger attended the night of parents at the same school – on Ysgol Gynradd Macchynlleth – as in April’s parents and father disappeared hours before they disappeared.
3.40pm Bridge was charged with kidnapping and murder in April.
11:00 am – Hundreds of people pay tribute to the emotional church service held at St. Peter’s Church in Machynlleth after a parade of more than 700 people slowly walked through the Welsh town.
10 a.m. – Bridger will appear in Aberystwyth District Court, facing charges of murder, kidnapping and misrepresenting the justice process. He begged for not guilty, remanded in custody, and set a New Year’s trial date.
Bridge’s trial begins.
During the hearing, experts told the court that fragments of human bones consistent with the “young man” were found in the fireplace in Bridge’s cottage.
Blood matching April DNA was also found throughout his home. Although her body was never recovered, what was found in his home was enough to accuse Bridge of her murder.
In his defense, he claimed that he had run for April and was in panic due to alcohol and was not remembering disposing of her body.
After retirement to find the verdict, the jury found Bridgeger guilty of all charges.
Later that day, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for a life sentence.
After the verdict, it was revealed that Bridger admitted to the strange prison pastor that he had dispossed April’s body in the fast-flowing Afon Dulas, who terminated Bridger’s house on the Dyfi River near Machynlleth. Stained pig police said they doubt Bridge’s claims and believed he would spread April’s body in rural areas near his home.
Although April’s body was never found, 17 skeletons were found from the fireplace of Bridge’s cottage, and her funeral was held – almost a year after the tragic murder.
