IN May 2016, Natalie Hemming vanished without a trace.
Three weeks later, the body of the mum-of-three was discovered after Thames Valley police conducted one of the biggest searches in Milton Keynes history.
The body of Natalie Hemming was found in May 2016Credit: SWNS:South West News Service
What happened to Natalie Hemming?
Natalie Hemming, 31,was beaten to death in the lounge of her home by her jealous partner Paul Hemming, after he discovered she planned to leave him for a colleague.
He then left his partner’s body in the woodland before returning to the family home where Natalie’s three children were sleeping.
In 2016, a court heard how Hemming wrapped 31-year-old Natalie’s body in a blanket, placed it in the boot of his car and then drove from Milton Keynes to a wooded area about 30 miles away in south Hertfordshire.
When the youngsters got up the next morning, he claimed their mother had left the house to visit a friend while they were asleep.
It later emerged that Natalie’s son, then six, had woken up and witnessed the murder through a gap in the door.
He then took the children to Whipsnade Zoo for a Bank Holiday day out.
Hemming then went on to invent an elaborate web of lies in a bid to cover-up his brutal crimes.
Two days after Natalie’s death her mother, frantic with worry, rung 999 to report her missing.
One of the biggest searches in the history of Thames Valley Police followed.
When police officers arrived at the family home, Paul falsely informed them that Natalie had been raped on the Saturday night and had gone away to “clear her head”.
In a bid to deceive authorities further, Paul sent text messages to Natalie’s phone expressing his worry.
Natalie’s body was found three weeks later by a man who had been mowing a meadow nearby.
Pathologist Dr Olaf Biedrzycki told the court it was impossible to determine what caused her death because of the body’s advanced state of decomposition.
The tragic story and investigation surrounding Natalie’s murder was followed by Channel 4 for a documentary – Catching A Killer: The Search For Natalie Hemming.
When was Natalie Hemming murdered?
Natalie Hemming was murdered at her home in Milton Keynes on Sunday, May 1, 2016.
Paul Hemming was convicted of murder in November 2016 and handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years behind bars.
He will not be eligible for parole until 2036.
Hemming and Natalie had been in a relationship since 2007.
When they first met in Hemel Hempstead, she already had a young daughter from a previous short-lived marriage.
In the years that followed they had a son and a daughter. Although they weren’t married, she took his surname.
Who is Paul Hemming?
Paul Hemming is the brutal killer of Natalie Hemming.
He admitted manslaughter at his trial but denied murder, even after it was revealed the couple’s son, six, had been woken by the dispute and witnessed him covering her body.
Paul Hemming was found guilty of murdering NatalieCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
During his trial, the court heard there had been previous incidents of violence by Hemming against Natalie.
He could be moody and sullen and would constantly check up on her, wanting to know where she was going and what friends she was seeing, prosecutors said.
The couple had briefly separated in 2010 and 2013.
In 2007, Natalie had made a statement to police alleging that after an argument with Hemming, he had thrown her mobile phone at her which struck her on the head.
In 2013 Natalie told police he had poked her in the eye and hit her over the head with a bottle.
Authorities were criticised in 2020 for “missed opportunities” in protecting her.
The Milton Keynes Community Safety Partnership’s review concluded that “despite only three calls to the police concerning domestic abuse over a nine-year period” it was evident she had “disclosed information to professionals that suggested her and the perpetrator’s relationship was abusive”.