Dead Bodies
Description
The stereotype, of course, is a dog walker. This is the person we expect to stumble across a dead body, to check its pulse and report the discovery to the police. They appear in the story – be it fictional or real – for a fleeting moment; we rarely get to know their name or face. Their feelings flit past unexplored. By the time they exit the narrative, we have moved on to details of the victim, to interviews with loved ones, rumours of prime suspects.
We rarely consider the impact of finding a body. As criminal profiler David Canter says, this usually depends on the condition of the body and whether it has any relevance to its finder: "Many dead bodies that are not mutilated look quite waxwork-like, so are not especially disturbing, but if body parts are found, that can be more traumatic." The condition of the face is important, too, as is whether or not the genitalia is exposed. "I think for everyone it is a dead child that is the most disturbing."
Hanna Green, coordinator of Victim Support in Lambeth, a London borough with one of the highest murder rates in the capital, says the person who stumbles on a body is as likely to need support as the family of a murder victim. "They are more likely to experience shock as a result of their discovery," she says. And this takes many different forms. While, for some, the horror lasts a few seconds, others are haunted for years.
Trevor Saunders: Discovered Gemma Adams, the first victim of the Ipswich Serial Killer to be found
The five women, murdered by Stephen Wright
It was an unusually sunny morning in December 2006 and I was on my rounds as a volunteer fisheries warden. I was checking for blockages in Belstead Brook, a gully that runs into the river Orwell, and remember thinking how pleasant it was to hear the birds singing after days of rain.
Then I noticed something alien protruding from the water. Moving closer, I brushed some dirt away and thought it may be a mannequin. I touched the shape; it was freezing cold. I wondered if it was a human being, but I couldn't see a head because it was covered with debris. When I shifted it, I realised I had found a dead body.
I now think of her as Gemma [Adams, the first victim of Ipswich serial killer Steve Wright to be discovered]. The body was face down, with the arms outstretched and bent at the elbows. It had been in the water for at least two weeks, which had slowed down decomposition, and I am grateful for that. Her face was on its side, her eyes were half open. She just looked like a normal person.
Having read about the missing women in the papers, I wondered if this was one of them. When I lifted away the debris, a small globule of dried blood drifted past. That really stuck in my mind. I dialled 999 and then called my boss. The police came in 15 minutes. I pointed to where I had found the body and they asked me to stay away while they got up to their knees in mud to reach her. Then the circus started. There must have been at least half a dozen police cars, plus motorbikes and the press. They set up a portable toilet and a catering van. I was there all day. I was the only member of the public allowed at the spot, because I had to show people around the lakes and the area. They used my caravan as an office. It was comforting to be part of the investigation, and it was night-time before they took Gemma away. It was a relief to me that she was now safe and dry.
I am glad I found her because it kick-started the police to finding the other women. And also I feel that from that moment Gemma was at peace. The following night I had a dream. I was at the brook and Gemma was there. She turned to me and said, "Thank you." In fact, for the first few nights afterwards I couldn't sleep without having a flashback to the moment I'd found her. I'm a very emotional person, even more so since this happened. I couldn't help thinking over and over, "What makes a person do something like that?"
The police put me in touch with Victim Support, and it was enough for me just to talk to them on the phone. I am normally chirpy, but those who knew me saw I was depressed. No one can understand what it feels like unless it has happened to them.
When it came close to the first anniversary, I bought Gemma a buddleia and planted it in her name by the brook. I visit every day. I feel like I know her; she's part of my life. It's as though she is a friend, a very strong bond. As soon as a photo of Gemma comes on the TV, I find myself crying.
Ken Jiggins: Discovered the bodies in the 'Essex Boys' murders
