Police find body in Thames in search for Valentine’s Day shooting suspect
Kent Police launched murder investigation after Lisa Smith shot near Three Horseshoes pub
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Police searching for a murder suspect following a pub shooting on Valentine's Day say they have recovered a body from the River Thames.
Lisa Smith, 43, from Slough, was shot dead near The Three Horseshoes pub in Knockholt, Kent, just after 7pm on 14 February.
The suspect, named as Edvard Stockings or Edvard Smith, was known to the 43-year-old victim.
Later that evening, police said they found a car abandoned on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which crosses the Thames at Dartford 17 miles away.
A man had fallen into the water below.
In an update on Saturday, Kent Police said a body was found in the Thames near Rainham, Essex, at around 3.45pm on Friday.
Formal identification has not yet taken place, but the man’s family have been informed, the force said in a statement.
The discovery is being linked to the investigation into Ms Smith’s murder.
The landlady of The Three Horseshoes, Michelle Thomas, described customers “screaming, shouting and crying” as they realised what had happened.
Around 30 people were at the pub for dinner, while 20 more were in the bar as the incident unfolded, she said.
Stockings, also known by the surname Smith, is said to have called family friend Leslie Thompson less than two hours after the shooting, telling him: "She's dead, I love you. I'll see you on the other side."
Kent Police said in a statement issued on Saturday: “On Friday 14 February 2025, Lisa Smith, 43, was killed after she was shot outside a pub in Main Road.
“The suspect was known to Lisa and later that evening officers found his car abandoned on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. Enquiries established he had fallen into the water below.
“At around 3.45pm on Friday 7 March, a body was located near Rainham, Essex. Formal identification has not yet taken place – however, the man’s family have been informed.”