By Victoria Mckeown-
Police searching for missing student Richard Okorogheye, who went missing two weeks ago, say they have found a man’s body in a pond in Epping Forest, Essex.
The 19-year-old left his family home in Ladbroke Grove, West London, on the evening of Monday 22 March, boarded a bus, then later took a 20-mile taxi ride from the W2 area of the capital to a residential street in Loughton, Essex.
Specialist police search officers and dog units have been searching Epping Forest after CCTV captured him walking towards the forest in the early hours of Tuesday 23 March – the last time he was seen.
Police say the body has not yet been identified but that Mr Okorogheye’s family have been told of the development, and they are being supported by specialist officers.
It is too early to state the cause of death of the student with sickle cell disease, who had been struggling to cope with shielding for the past year and it is believed he did not take his daily medication with him.
There is speculation among some analysts, that this could have been suicide rather than murder, because he hadn’t taken hos medication, but nothing conclusive or official has yet been made.
“Oh God, they said the description matches his, but we’ll go in tomorrow to find out,” Ms Joel told My London in a highly emotional call.
No formal identification of the body has yet been carried out.
The Met said investigators are working to identify the remains, but the high likelihood the body found is his is quite high.
Richard’s family are being supported by specially trained officers, after being informed of today’s developments.
Mr Okorogheye, who was diagnosed with sickle cell disease, left his family home in the Ladbroke Grove area of west London on the evening of Monday March 22, and was reported missing two days later.
He was last seen on CCTV in Loughton, Essex, in the early hours of Tuesday March 23, walking towards Epping Forest.
Initial police inquiries identified Mr Okorogheye leaving his home address and heading in the direction of Ladbroke Grove at around 8.30pm.
Police believe the Oxford Brookes university student got on a bus in West London and then took a taxi to Loughton, in Essex. CCTV captured him walking towards Epping Forest in the early hours of March 23.
His mother, Evidence Joel, said waiting for information on her son’s whereabouts has been “hell”. “Every day is a nightmare for me now.
“I feel completely helpless. Helpless, and also, sorry to use this word, but I feel useless. Because I want to go out there, to do something to look for him, search for him, anything.
“But I can’t”, she said of needing to remain at home in case he makes contact.
His mother previously said that her son had spoken of “struggling to cope” with university pressures and had been shielding during the Covid-19 lockdown.