A man who investigated Shannon Matthews’ disappearance has revealed the moment he knew that her mum Karen the person behind it all.
Shannon was nine years old when she was reported missing in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, back in February 2008.
24 days after she was reported missing, the young girl was found a few miles away at Karen’s then-boyfriend Michael Donovan’s house in a plot to claim a £50,000 reward.
Richard Edwards, who was a local reporter at the time, and Karen’s friend Julie Bushby appeared on Tuesday’s instalment of This Morning to talk about their involvement in the case.
Presenters Emma Willis, 49, and Andi Peters, 55, were keen to know the moment when they started to rethink things and become suspicious of Karen.
Richard said: ‘The conversation on the estate was fever pitch by then. A lot of people were talking about Karen’s strange behaviour, but more and more people had started to actually say she’d been involved.
‘There was one particular night where to this day I’ve never known who this person was. It was a Sunday night, a few days before Karen was arrested…
‘A car pulled up on the estate, I was working, it was late on the Sunday, it was dark and a guy got out and he said ‘Where’s that Richard Edwards from the Yorkshire Evening Post?
‘I thought I’ve done something to offend this fella, but I need to front up. I said “That’s me”.
‘He came over, he was right at the end of Mooreside Road and he pointed towards the house, he went “She’s done it. She’s known where that little girl has been all along.”
‘Then got into the car and drove off and I thought right… that was weird.
‘That was on top of the other stuff I’d been hearing. And then three days later she was arrested.’
An intrigued Emma asked: ‘And you have no idea who that person was?’
‘To this day, don’t know who he was,’ Richard replied.
‘So if he’s watching this and wants to get in touch with me just to explain who he is and just clear up that tiny little outstanding part of the story.
‘I would love to hear from him because he didn’t tell me who he was, but he was right!
‘He was right!’
Julie also heard a lot of rumours while they were out searching for Shannon, but Andi wanted to know how she felt when it was revealed that her disappearance was behind Karen.
She said: ‘When she actually came out with it, it was like mixed emotions.
‘Relief that it was over. Anger. Disappointment. Used and abused. But not just me, the entire community.
‘She just made us look like plant pots.’
Emma pointed out: ‘You must have been left with so many questions…’
Julie said: ‘I did have so many questions. I used to go visit her in prison and I asked the same questions every time I went.’
A shocked Andi asked: ‘How was she?’
‘Well there were times I went and she was black and blue, but she’d walked into that many doors…
‘I just wanted the truth. It didn’t matter how many times I asked. It was a different story every time I went.’
Emma asked: ‘So you’ve never really had any clarity?’
‘No,’ Julie said. ‘She just tells me she was scared of the family, that’s all I ever get.’
This Morning airs weekdays on ITV1 from 10am and is available to stream on ITVX.
