Double killer Christopher Halliwell's 'third victim' not identified for 15 years after DNA failing

Police investigating double killer Christopher Halliwell for another murder say the victim was not identified for 15 years because his DNA was not provided by another force.

Darren Carley went missing in Swindon on January 24, 2002, and his remains were discovered six months later in a farm pond, 185 miles north, near Chorley, in Lancashire. Darren had a fractured skull, having suffered a number of vicious blows to the head with a blunt weapon.

But his family were left in agonising limbo, not knowing if he was dead or alive, because he was unidentified until 2018 when his DNA was finally placed on databases by Wiltshire Police . Halliwell, 62 , is currently serving a whole life term for murdering Becky Godden-Edwards, 20, in 2003 and Sian O'Callaghan, 22, in 2011, after abducting them in Swindon, Wilts.

Tireless campaigning by Becky's mum Karen Edwards finally ended in the killer's 2016 prosecution for her murder.

Karen, who spent eight years not knowing if Becky was dead or alive, said: "It's an absolute shambles. We waited for years to find Becky and she was missing all that time so I know what Darren's family went through.

"Your heart is breaking because every day you are looking and hoping, thinking 'are they going to make that call?'. I think the police should apologise to the family."

Wiltshire Police said it provided Darren's dental records to Lancashire Police in August 2002.

Asked how many other missing people from Wiltshire have not had their DNA uploaded, the force said: "Providing DNA to the national database is not mandatory in a missing person investigation. DNA is provided to the national database once a missing person investigation meets certain criteria. Each missing person investigation is subject to regular reviews throughout."

Lancashire Police said: "As is standard practice, the DNA from the remains discovered were entered into the system by ourselves in 2002.

"This is to allow comparison with any DNA samples taken from across the UK. Until 2017 Darren's DNA was not provided for comparison." The force said it was unable to match the dental records with the remains in 2002.

Sam Roberts, of charity Missing People, said: "Current practice recognises the benefit of police considering multiple forms of identification, including DNA, fingerprints, dental records, medical information, and personal descriptors, wherever available and appropriate.

"Every reasonable opportunity should be taken to help establish the identity of unidentified remains, to help provide answers to loved ones living with desperate uncertainty.”

Wiltshire Police was criticised by the police watchdog in 2022 for missing significant opportunities to bring Halliwell to justice earlier during the bungled investigation into Becky's murder. Chief Constable Kier Pritchard was heavily criticised after several lines of inquiry were not properly followed.

Darren's heartbroken mum Barbara, who died last year without getting justice for her son, said when he disappeared: "I love you, please come home."