Police in the UK are today questioning Becky Watts’ stepbrother and his girlfriend in relation to her death.
The 16-year-old vanished from her home in Bristol in February, sparking a major search in the area, with her stepbrother Nathan Matthews and his girlfriend Shauna Phillip taken into custody at the weekend.
The pair are being questioned by police in connection with Becky’s murder, with a further five people arrested on suspicion of assisting in the killing.
Police received information earlier this week suggesting that the teenager’s body was at a property in the Barton Hill area and body parts were subsequently found at the site.
Her father Darren Galsworthy and his wife Anjie Galsworthy have since released a statement to say that the latest developments are “too much to bear”, adding “We have the support of a good family network to help us in these challenging times. We would ask that you treat Becky with the due reverence and allow us to come to terms with our grief in private”.
Becky’s mother Tania, grandmother Pat, and brother Daniel have also spoken out, saying they are “devastated” with the news.
“We are at an utter loss to understand why anyone would want to hurt our beautiful Becky in such a brutal way. We are grateful to the police for all they have done and are continuing to do in this investigation. Whilst there are people in custody, none of whom are connected to the Watts family, we will not be making any further comment and we ask that our privacy is respected at this horrific time.”