British police investigating the murder of missing schoolgirl Milly Dowler said today they would be carrying out a fingertip search of secluded woodland where the teenager's body was found to try to find her clothes.
Police yesterday said dental checks on a body discovered on Thursday in a forest near Fleet, in Hampshire, southern England, matched those of Amanda Dowler, known to family and friends as Milly, who vanished six months ago.
Milly went missing on March 21 from her home town of Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, about 25 miles (40 km) from where her body was finally found, sparking a huge police search which involved hundreds of locals and even the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Milly, who was 13 when she disappeared, was last seen walking home from the town's train station on her way back from school.
The officer leading the murder inquiry said it was too early to speculate on what exactly had happened to Milly, but he hinted that detectives believed the schoolgirl was killed on the day she vanished or shortly afterwards.
"Today we are appealing to anyone who may have visited Yateley Heath forest or the surrounding area on Thursday March 21 or the following days," Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Denholm of Surrey Police told reporters.
"Can you remember seeing a teenager that fits the description of Milly?"
He said officers would be focusing their investigation on a half mile area around where the body was discovered as neither her clothing nor possessions had been found.
Officers are keen to find the school uniform she was wearing on the day she vanished and possessions, including her Nokia mobile phone with "Milly" written on the back, and a white purse with a red ace of hearts motif. House to house inquiries are also under way.