Northern Ireland: Body found in search for missing Chloe Mitchell

Police in Northern Ireland have launched a murder investigation after human remains were found in the search for 21-year-old Chloe Mitchell, who disappeared in the early hours of June 3. Two men are in custody.

“Sadly today detectives have recovered suspected human remains in Ballymena, and while there has been no formal identification, we have now launched a murder enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of [Chloe],” Detective Chief Inspector Richard Millar said.

“Tragically, we now have reason to believe that Chloe was murdered,” he added.

Mitchell was last seen by her family on June 2 and was then captured on CCTV in Ballymena Town Centre in the late hours of Friday the 2nd and into the early hours of Saturday the 3rd. She was walking in the direction of James Street.

A 26-year-old man was arrested in Lurgan on June 8 and a 34-year-old man was arrested in the Ballymena area on Saturday. Both men remain in police custody, according to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

The remains which were found on Sunday were found at a property where the 34-year-old man was arrested, according to local journalists.

“Our thoughts this evening are very much with Chloe’s family and we have specialist officers providing them with support at this heart-breaking time,” Millar said. “I would like to thank the community in Ballymena and the Search and Rescue teams for their help in trying to find Chloe.”

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This is the scene here in Ballymena where suspected human remains have been found in the search for Chloe Mitchell.

The discovery was made this afternoon in a property that police made an arrest at earlier this week @BelTel pic.twitter.com/1CTUOurbRV

— Kevin Scott (@Kscott_94) June 11, 2023