# Missing woman found after nearly seven years

> Remains discovered in London parkland identified as Joanne Sheen, who vanished from Hampshire in 2020.
- Title: Missing woman found after nearly seven years · the Guardian
- Summary: Remains discovered in London parkland identified as Joanne Sheen, who vanished from Hampshire in 2020. A woman missing since December 2019 has been…
- Keywords: joanne sheen, missing person, london, hampshire, human remains, murder investigation, arrest, the pits parkland, feltham, southampton, fareham, news
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/sep/17/human-remains-london-joanne-sheen-missing-hampshire
- Published: 2026-09-17T16:06:57+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: joanne sheen, missing person, london, hampshire, human remains, murder investigation, arrest, the pits parkland, feltham, southampton, fareham, news
## Bones found in London parkland
Metropolitan police discovered human remains at The Pits in south-west London on August 12 after a grass fire cleared the area of foliage.
## Identified as Joanne Sheen
The remains have been identified as Joanne Sheen, 44, a mother of three who disappeared from Hampshire in December 2019 and was reported missing in February 2020.
## Murder investigation launched
Scotland Yard opened a murder investigation, which was taken over by Hampshire and Isle of Wight constabulary after forensic examination and DNA testing confirmed the identity.
## Man arrested on suspicion
A 56-year-old man from Southampton has been arrested by Hampshire police on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder and is in custody.
## Police seek more information
Detectives are asking anyone with information about Joanne's movements or how she came to be in Feltham to come forward. A £20,000 Crimestoppers reward has been reinstated.

> There may still be people who have information about Joanne's disappearance, her movements before she went missing, or how she came to be in Feltham.
## Family seeks answers after years
Detective Chief Inspector Toby Elcock said the family has shown tremendous strength and dignity, and police remain committed to establishing what happened and holding those responsible accountable.

> While this tragic discovery is not the outcome Joanne's family, or any of us, had hoped for, we hope the identification of her remains can at least begin to provide some answers.
## Key takeaway

A woman missing since December 2019 has been identified through remains found in London, leading to a murder investigation and arrest.