Dad of murdered schoolgirl April Jones dies without finding daughter's body

Daily Record

14-05-2025

Paul Jones' stepdaughter Jazz Jones confirmed the tragic news on Tuesday.
The father of murdered schoolgirl April Jones has tragically died without ever finding his daughter's body.
Paul Jones had contracted a brain disease in 2018, six years after April was snatched near the family home in Machynlleth, Wales. The 55-year-old passed away from his condition in the early hours of Tuesday, May 13.
‌
His five-year-old daughter's abduction on October 1, 2012 saw a huge search launched, with hundreds of volunteers joining police and rescue teams. However, despite hours of searching and a personal appeal from then-Prime Minister David Cameron, her body was never recovered.
‌
Enquiries later resulted in the arrest of Mark Bridger, 46, who was eventually jailed for abducting and murdering the youngster, reports the Mirror.
In an announcement made following Paul's death, his stepdaughter Jazz Jones said: "It is with broken hearts that my brother and I wish to let people know our dad (Paul Jones) passed away early hours this morning. It was very unexpected and we are all in shock.
"Harley and myself will update people with further information as we know more but please give us our privacy to mourn our loss."
Speaking to The Sun, Jazz, 29, said: "It's only been 24 hours, it's a lot to get our head around. As a family we're heartbroken, but we're still trying to process the fact that dad has passed away, so we're not sharing any information on his death out of respect for him."
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
‌
On the day April disappeared, she had friends at the house for dinner, and asked to take one home on her bike. Her mum Coral agreed, telling her to "come straight back".
She never returned, and was seen by eyewitnesses getting into a car near the family home.
Local man Mark Bridger was arrested the following day, as he matched the description of the man people had seen talking to April and driving her away in his car.
Three days later, on October 5, police officially opened a murder inquiry, despite there not being a body.