A man arrested on suspicion of the kidnap of a missing mum has been further arrested on suspicion of her murder.
Katie Kenyon was last seen on Friday, April 22. While Katie has not yet been found and the search for her is continuing, detectives are working on the basis she is sadly no longer alive.
The enquiry has now shifted from a missing from home to a homicide investigation. A 50-year-old man was further arrested on suspicion of murder on the evening of April 26.
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Detectives made a further application to Burnley Magistrates Court to continue his detention to 9pm today. Katie's family has been informed of the latest developments and are receiving support from police.
Lancashire Police believe a woman matching Katie's description left an address on Todmorden Road, Burnley, at around 9:30am on Friday, April 22. Katie is understood to have left the address with a man and travelled in a silver Ford Transit - registration MT57 FLC - to the Bolton by Bowland area. Katie has not been seen since.
Lancashire Police are continuing their appeal to anyone who was in Bolton by Bowland, Gisburn Forest or that area who 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 them.
Katie is described as white, 33, 5ft9in, 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.”
Anyone with information should call police on 101 quoting log 800 of April 24 or make contact through the Major Incident Public Portal here. Alternatively contact independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
