Hopes were raised this week, when the force revealed that it was searching the garage following reported suspicious activity there.
Nearly two decades after the nation was gripped with news of the 15 year old’s disappearance from East Tilbury.
Her uncle Stuart Campbell was sentenced to life imprisonment for her murder. In 2001, he refused to answer police questions about her disappearance. Campbell had developed an inappropriate relationship with his niece, and kept a weird diary about his dealings with her.
Locals in the area of Stifford Clays where the keen body builder lived, found him odd. One resident from Leasway, Stifford Clays, told the eye of media.com ” it’s weird why he did something so evil. He was a good looking guy who had a nice pretty wife. He turned out to be an embarrassment to everyone who knew him.
I used to see him walking around and just gazing into the air. The day after crime watch appealed for information, I remember seeing him just pacing about his road like a bothered man. All the neighbours gathered when forensics were in his house searching the building.
The Sun Newspaper in a desperate attempt to find her offered a £15,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts.
Steven Worron, Assistant Chief Constable head of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate confirmed that the searching had been to no avail before sending in the police sniffer dog on Thursday, before confirming on Friday that the search at the site had been concluded.
He said: “We were at this site acting on a credible line of enquiry following the information passed to us in February.
“Forensic searches have been completed along with investigations using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and lastly searches using a specialist search dog.
“I completely stand by my decision to search this area. Not to search would have meant there would always have been a question mark over whether Danielle’s body could have been buried here.
“I cannot begin to imagine how difficult this week has been for Danielle’s family. Our activity here has reopened old wounds and thrust them in to the media spotlight again, 16 years after Danielle’s disappearance.
“Sadly we have been unable to end the pain they have continued to experience and we are no closer to knowing where Danielle is. But we will continue to be there to support them as we have since Danielle went missing.
“The next steps for us will be to review the case and determine whether there are any other investigative avenues for us to take to continue our search for Danielle.
After 16 years, it seems very unlikely that her body will be found.