Search goes on as deadline approaches
Specialist search teams are continuing to search the home of Ian Huntley's father in connection with the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. Detectives are expected to bring charges before dawn tomorrow.
Last night, Caretaker Ian Huntley, 28, and his girlfriend Maxine Carr, 25, appeared separately at special magistrates court hearings when police were granted a "further and final" extension to continue questioning them.
Detectives have until about 6am tomorrow either to charge or release them. Police sources indicated that there will be "developments" in the case later today.
The couple were each driven from separate police stations in Cambridgeshire to the hearings last night.
Police are refusing to reveal where they are expected to appear in court tomorrow because of fears of vigilante action.
The pair were arrested in the early hours of Saturday in Soham after a surveillance operation. Huntley is being held on suspicion of murder and kidnap and Carr on suspicion of murder.
Because of the separate times of last night's hearings, police have until 5.48am tomorrow to continue questioning Carr and until 6.19am to continue interviews with Huntley about the murders of the 10-year-olds.
Cambridgeshire police said that postmortem examinations carried out on the bodies had proved "inconclusive".
Police sources have indicated that it may never be known for certain how the girls died.
The two best friends disappeared from Soham after going for a walk around the town on Sunday 4 August.
Their badly-decomposed bodies were found on Saturday in woodland near a remote track beside the perimeter fence of the US air force base at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. The discovery was made by gamekeeper Keith Pryer who was feeding pheasants in the area. He said: "What I saw will haunt me for the rest of my life."
The post-mortems were carried out at Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge by Home Office pathologist Dr Nat Cary.
In a statement last night police said further tests could take "some weeks" and the girls' parents now face an agonising wait before they can hold funerals.
Police searches are continuing at four sites in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. The main searches are being conducted by specialist officers at the home shared by Huntley and Carr at the Soham Village College school where he was a caretaker.
Searches are continuing at the school buildings where police say they have already found items of "major interest".
Another search team yesterday began examining the bungalow home of Huntley's 47-year-old father Kevin in the village of Littleport, Cambridgeshire, where the couple were arrested. Officers also remain at the scene where the bodies were found. Yesterday Holly's parents visited St Andrew's church in Soham where the churchyard has been transformed into a sea of flowers left by wellwishers.
By this afternoon the lines of bouquets stretched along all the pathways in the churchyard and were piling up by the church wall.
As well as flowers, children's toys have been left for the girls. So many candles have been lit for them inside the church that the stone altar they have been placed on is hot to the touch.
The message on one bouquet, laid by five-year-old Brittany Gibbs from Derby, said: "Two angels in heaven. Now let's stand united against such evil for future generations." Many other messages simply asked: "Why?"
A team from the Rotary Club has been recording the messages left on cards. They will later be transcribed and made into a book of remembrance for the town and the families.
Parish priest, the Rev Tim Alban Jones, said he received 100 letters of sympathy this morning alone, adding: "This is a massive outpouring of grief and sympathy.
"There is palpable grief in the town. It's the only thing people can talk about. We are just numb with shock but it is enormously comforting to know we are in the thoughts and prayers of people around the world."
