From Lancashire Constabulary:
A man arrested on suspicion of the kidnap of missing mum Katie Kenyon has been further arrested on suspicion of her murder.
While Katie has not yet been found, and the search for her is continuing, detectives are now working on the basis that she is sadly no longer alive.
The enquiry has now shifted form a missing from home to a homicide investigation.
The 50-year-old man under arrest for Katie’s murder remains in custody where he is being questioned about her disappearance. Detectives are this evening making a further application to Burnley Magistrates Court to continue this male’s detention to 9pm tomorrow (Wednesday, April 27th).
Katie’s family have been informed of the latest developments and continue to be supported by specially trained officers.
We believe that at about 9.30am on Friday (April 22nd) a woman matching Katie’s description left an address on Todmorden Road, Burnley with a man and travelled in the silver Ford Transit (pictured) registration MT57 FLC to the Bolton by Bowland area. She has not been seen since.
We continue to appeal to anyone who was in Bolton by Bowland, Gisburn Forest or that area and may have seen Katie, either in company or on her own, or who saw or has dashcam footage of a van matching the description to come forward and contact us.
Katie is described as white, 33, five ft nine ins, with shoulder length strawberry blond/ginger highlighted hair. She was last seen wearing a blue shirt/jacket and white vest top, black leggings and flip flops.
Det Supt Gary Brooks, Lancashire Police’s Head of Major Crime, said: “While I hold some slim hope that Katie may still be found alive I’m sad to say that Katie has now been missing for over four days. Despite extensive police enquiries and media appeals we have not found Katie nor have there been any sightings of Katie.
“We have spoken to Katie’s family today and they are understandably extremely upset by this latest development and I have officers continuing to offer them support. My thoughts are with them at this time.
“I am really grateful for all the help that members of the public have given us so far and I would continue to appeal to anyone who has any information, however small, to come forward and speak to us. While we do have someone under arrest our enquiries are very much on-going.
“We are continuing to search a number of different locations in connection with this investigation, including at Gisburn Forest and I am grateful to colleagues from Merseyside and North Wales, and other emergency service partners who are offering assistance in the these complex and wide-scale searches.
“I am aware that many members of the public have offered to help us in those searches and while I am grateful for that I would dissuade anyone from doing so. The area we are searching is very large and remote with no phone signal. The police teams are trained professionals who are used to doing this sort of work and I would hate for someone to get lost or come to harm while trying to help. Please leave it to us.”
The search teams now number more than 60 trained search officers from Lancashire, North Wales, Merseyside and GMP, with specialist dogs, a plane and other specialist search equipment being used. The Salvation Army have kindly provided a feeding station.
Anyone with information should call police on 101 quoting log 800 of April 24th or you can contact us through the Major Incident Public Portal at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/0401020119P01-PO1
Alternatively contact independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
