Murder of Louise Smith
On 21 May 2020, Louise Smith, a 16-year-old, was found murdered in Havant, Hampshire, England. She had been missing for 13 days prior.[1][2] On 8 December, Smith's cousin-in-law, Shane Mays, was convicted of her murder by a jury at Winchester Crown Court.[1][3]
Trial[]
In the trial, the prosecution said that Mays had lured Smith to walk to the woodland, with the aim of sexually assaulting her.[1][3] Smith's body was found after an extended search by specialist teams, involving 306 people, drones, and dogs.[4] It was described as "dreadfully treated", with "repeated, heavy blows to the head", subsequently defiled with a stick and burned in an attempt to "destroy her body". The exact cause of death could not be determined due to extensive burns.[1][3] A clinical review of Mays found that he had an "extremely low" IQ of 63.[1] Mays was sentenced to a minimum prison term of 25 years.[5]
References[]
- ^ a b c d e "Louise Smith death: Shane Mays guilty of murdering teenager in woods". BBC News. 8 December 2020.
- ^ "Man, 29, arrested over Louise Smith murder". The Telegraph. 27 May 2020.
- ^ a b c "Man who killed teenage girl in woods 'with breathtaking brutality' found guilty of murder". The Telegraph. 8 December 2020.
- ^ "Louise Smith trial: Live updates Shane Mays convicted of murdering teenager". www.portsmouth.co.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- ^ "Louise Smith death: Shane Mays jailed for murdering niece in woods". BBC News. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
 | This crime-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by . |
- 2020 murders in Europe
- 2020 crimes in the United Kingdom
- 2020 deaths
- 2020 murders in the United Kingdom
- Formerly missing people
- Murder in Hampshire
- May 2020 crimes in Europe
- Crime stubs