Amanda Dowler: Mushroom pickers' grim discovery ended long search

Forensic scientists face painstaking hunt for clues to identity of murderer six months after schoolgirl's disappearance

Two mushroom pickers foraging in a Hampshire wood stumbled across the remains of the missing schoolgirl Amanda Dowler.

The discovery of the skull and scattered bones, apparently unearthed by animals from a shallow grave, confirmed yesterday what the police and the parents of the 13-year-old had long feared and suspected.

Detectives hope the remains, found six months after Amanda, also known as Milly, disappeared from outside the railway station at Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, some 20 miles away, could provide the clues that their inquiry has lacked.

A man and woman found the skull about 10 yards from a rough path in Yateley Heath Wood on Wednesday afternoon. They did not tell police for 24 hours, apparently "mulling over" what they had discovered.

Hampshire police were informed by their Surrey colleagues and the wooded area of fir, oak and beech trees close to the town of Fleet was sealed off while 40 officers searched. About a dozen bones, some of them fragments, were found in the first 24 hours and more are expected to be discovered as the search is widened. No clothing or possessions have been recovered. Parts of the skeleton have probably been removed by animals.

An orthodontist and a pathologist matched the teeth found in the woods with Amanda's dental records yesterday. At 5pm the police issued a statement saying they were "almost certain" it was Amanda. DNA tests are being done to confirm the identification. The remains were taken to the mortuary in Basingstoke for examination.

Examination by forensic scientists may reveal details of how Amanda was killed and could provide clues to the identity of her murderer.

If the remains, and the area where they were found, have not been disturbed too much, experts will probably be able to establish how long the body was in the wood.

Officers will also be searching the wood for anything, such as receipts, clothing, or waste paper, that may have been discarded. These could contain DNA or provide information about the killer's identity.

The skull will be examined and X-rayed for fractures. All the bones will be X-rayed and examined for fractures or breaks. Neck bones can sometimes reveal whether someone was strangled.

Professor Anthony Busuttil, from Edinburgh University, who performs post-mortem examinations and forensic science investigations in murder cases, said that because the body had probably been exposed to the elements for nearly six months it would be difficult, but not impossible, to obtain information about the murder.

"The body will decompose very quickly in the open air. Animals are bound to have removed bones," he said.

"But it is not an impossible task ... animals have had bodies that have been out in the open for a year and [we] still managed to find the cause of death." Police will be hoping that someone saw something suspicious in the area but did not think it relevant until now.

Detectives believe Amanda was probably the victim of a chance abduction. Having stopped for chips at the station café in Walton-on-Thames on 21 March, she telephoned her father before setting off to walk the mile and a half home. She was not seen again.

The inquiry proved difficult because police did not have a crime scene, any significant witnesses or suspects or a body. One potential breakthrough was announced last week when police published enhanced images of photographs from a surveillance camera showing a lone figure standing next to a car a few metres from where Amanda was last seen. Detectives are trying to trace the car and its owner.

The police had gone to extraordinary lengths in their search for Amanda Dowler, examining more than 350 sites including 40 under water. Two bodies have been found during the inquiry. The first, on railway tracks at Hersham, Surrey, was of a man who committed suicide, while the second, found in the Thames, was that of a 73-year-old woman.

With the discovery of Amanda's remains, the murder inquiry may be on the brink of a breakthrough.

Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Denholm, the officer in charge of the investigation, said police were now much closer to discovering what happened to Amanda and "to bringing the person or persons to justice".