Kew murder: Police find body of missing woman Laureline Garcia-Bertaux in shallow grave

Laureline Garcia-Bertaux was last seen alive at a supermarket in Richmond

A murder investigation has been launched after a missing woman’s body was found in a shallow grave in Kew, southwest London.

Police began searching for Laureline Garcia-Bertaux, 34, from Richmond, after she failed to turn up for work on Monday.

Officers found a body in a shallow grave in a garden in Darell Road, Kew, on Wednesday night.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “Although formal identification has not taken place, Laureline’s family have been informed of developments and are being supported by specially trained officers.

“A forensic crime scene is in place and post-mortem examination will be held in due course.

“A murder investigation has been launched by detectives from the Met’s homicide and major crime command.”

Ms Garcia-Bertaux was last seen at a supermarket in the Manor Circus area of Richmond on Saturday evening.

Her friend Daniel Hughes, 27, said she was meant to go shopping in Oxford Street on Sunday before meeting a man for coffee in the evening.

“She met him in a shop or something like that and then he must have chatted to her then and they arranged a coffee on Sunday evening,” he said.

“We don't know if she went out to meet him or not. We’re not sure when the murder took place, whether it was Saturday night or Sunday night.

“She was meant to move out of that house on Monday morning.”

Mr Hughes added: “She’s tall, got a lot of presence. Always very friendly, very talkative, would never have hurt anyone.”

During previous appeals detectives said Ms Garcia-Bertaux’s disappearance was “highly out of character”.

The French national described herself on a Linkedin profile as an executive assistant and “an experienced creative marketer with a demonstrated history of successfully working in the clothing, TV and film industries”.

Jon Hughes, chief executive of public relations company Golin, said: “We can confirm that one of our employees has been reported missing. We are supporting the police in their inquiries.”

Anyone with information about the investigation can call police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111

Additional reporting by Press Association