My Princess – Grieving Mum’s Farewell

Yesterday, like any day Joanne Riley was at the school gates of Cheetham Junior School having a chat to a couple of other mums as they picked up their children. Bethany, the daughter Joanne and her husband Bob doted on and called “My Princess” was nearby one minute and gone the next. A panicky search came to nothing. Eight-year-old Bethany was missing.

Distraught at not finding Bethany, as expected, shortly after noticing her missing, Joanne called the police. Officers from Sun Hill police station were swiftly deployed by DI Manson who headed up the intensive search to find their latest MISPER.

Officers pursued a number of leads and had a couple of suspects. On the same day as she went missing, Bethany was found by a police search party near a river next to Cloverleaf Glassworks – she was dead.

Her father who was also in the search party had to be dragged away, consumed with disbelief and grief.

CCTV footage uncovered in the investigation showed Mason Kemble, a 10-year-old school friend of Bethany’s, in a shop when he claimed to be elsewhere. The shopkeeper remembers the boy had a wet shoe.

Other evidence that has not been publically shared lead the officers to arrest Kemble. DI Manson, pictured, lead Kemble to the car waiting to take him into custody cloaked with his jacket from the astonished neighbours and press who gathered outside his home.

It is understood Kemble acted alone when he killed Bethany; the police are not looking for anyone else in this case.

Yesterday Mason Kemble was formally charged with manslaughter.