Nursery worker's death still a mystery

Police investigating the death of Amanda Edwards, a nursery worker from Swindon, admitted yesterday they still do not know how she died.

Police investigating the death of Amanda Edwards, a nursery worker from Swindon, admitted yesterday they still do not know how she died.

Wiltshire police said that a post-mortem carried out on Ms Edwards' body at Southmead hospital in Bristol had proved inconclusive.

Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Howlett, who is leading the investigation, said: "At this time, the cause of death has yet to be ascertained." However, the examination had shown there was no apparent natural cause of death.

Her body was found buried at a building site near Malmesbury in Wiltshire on Friday - eight days after she went missing - just as a man who was questioned about her disappearance was found dead in a house in the nearby town of Calne. Ian Cortis, 48, a plasterer and father of two who worked at the building site, had been questioned for four days about the 21-year-old's whereabouts but released without charge. On Friday, he was found hanged, in an apparent suicide.

Mr Howlett said the police were waiting for the results of forensic tests. He added they were no longer looking for any other suspects in the case.

Mr Howlett refused to answer any questions about Mr Cortis, saying it would be "totally inappropriate to say anything apart from to offer the deepest condolences to his family".

Mr Cortis is believed to have met Ms Edwards through his wife. Mr Howlett said Ms Edwards' parents "were understandably devastated" after learning that her body had been found.