Police have stepped up their search for missing airman Corrie McKeague
The hunt for missing airman Corrie McKeague has been stepped up further by police despite having already spent more than £1million trying to find him.
His mother, Nicola Urquhart, said on Facebook today the police are now using 12 police officers – instead of eight – in the search for the 23-year-old at the landfill site in Milton, Cambrigeshire.
Officers are searching the site after the movements of the serviceman’s mobile phone seemed to follow those of a bin lorry.
Ms Urquhart also said she is not looking for closure but just wants to find Corrie.
She wrote: ‘As expected The MIT (Major Incident Team) have confirmed the search will take slightly longer than the original 4 to 6 week estimate.
‘This is positive news though, although the search team now have lights so they can work on as the nights are getting dark earlier, they also have a bulldozer to move the rubbish that has already been searched and they have now increased the team up to 12 Police Officers.
‘It is estimated it may take at least 8 weeks now. It is being completed, this is what is important.
‘This cell was opened on 19th September 2016. We are now in the 5th week of searching and they are still only finding rubbish dated up to the 19th September. They have searched over a thousand tonnes since the search restarted, so it shows just how much rubbish is being dumped.
Police are now using 12 police officers – instead of eight – in the search for the 23-year-old at the landfill site in Milton, Cambrigeshire
Officers are also now using a bulldozer to move the rubbish that has already been searched
‘As I keep saying, I still have so many questions about other lines of enquiry and when we get our family review at the end of the month, I am hopeful that most, if not all, will be answered.’
She said she desperately wants to find Corrie, but that finding him would not bring closure, just more questions.
She added: ‘It is strange, I would have thought that is what I would need, but it is not closure I am looking for, it is Corrie I am looking for.
‘I simply cannot find the words to express just how much I desperately want to find Corrie, having your child (they will always be my boys, no matter how old they are) suddenly vanish of the face of the earth in a single second should never be experienced by anyone. Finding Corrie would let us bring him back home and carry out Corrie’s wishes. The very least a parent can do.
‘It would not give me closure though, finding Corrie will just bring more questions. Questions that simply may never be able to be answered.
‘So, closure is not what I am looking for, it is trying to find a way of getting through each day, the best way I can. Knowing I have done everything I possibly can to find Corrie.
Suffolk Police announced at the beginning of October that they would be extending the search and it was expected to take around four weeks
Corrie was last seen in the area of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, known as the ‘horseshoe’ where there was a bin lorry collection, last September
‘Sometimes, without warning at the least expected moment, reality screams home. We were all together and had all been playing with and cuddling little Ellie, we were talking about her age in months and when do you stop counting in months.
‘We then started working out how old we all were in months, we got round to Darroch and worked out his age in months, when I saw Darroch’s face just crumble, he worked out he was older than Corrie now.
‘It broke my heart. It just destroyed me. But then it made me dig deeper and find that positivity, to be honest, I was struggling.’
Corrie’s girlfriend, April Oliver also posted a new picture of his daughter and wrote: ‘I miss being pregnant.
‘Feeling those flutters and kicks. But being a Mummy is the most rewarding thing in the world love my little bean.’
Suffolk Police announced at the beginning of October that they would be extending the search and it was expected to take around four weeks.
In May the force confirmed they had already spent £1 million on the search.
Officers are searching the site after the movements of the serviceman’s mobile phone seemed to follow those of a bin lorry
Corrie was last seen in the area of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, known as the ‘horseshoe’ where there was a bin lorry collection at around 4.15am – 4.20am on Saturday, 24 September, 2016.
Only one bin was collected from the area that morning. Waste from it was initially taken to a transfer station at Red Lodge and then to the Milton landfill site.
A review of the Suffolk police investigation has been conducted by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) and they have concluded that Corrie is ‘most likely’ to be in the Milton landfill.
The constabulary’s decision to extend the search is supported by the review team although its report has yet to be concluded.
Milton landfill site is around 485,623 square metres and Cell 22 measures 10,000 square metres. The approximate volume of the new area being searched is 1,831 cubic metres.