Search for body of 'gentle' Frank McKeever reaches A14 in Northants as Met Police arrive to comb undergrowth for remains

Frank McKeever was a creature of habit.

He had a routine that rarely wavered and lived a quiet, steady life. He’s the last person you’d ever expect to go missing and never return home.

He’d cared for his sick wife in the months before she died during the pandemic, and had only just started to find his place in the world again after her death.

But on August 28, 2021, Frank unexpectedly went missing from Highbury Park, less than a mile from the Emirates Stadium in London. It was just three days before his sixty-fourth birthday. Homicide detectives presume he is dead and on Friday (June 23) they arrived in Northamptonshire to comb verges by the side of the A14 westbound, opposite the Welford truck stop.

It’s suspected Frank wasn’t afforded the final dignity of a respectful burial. Instead, officers believe his body may have been moved north, out of London, after his death and dumped in our area.

The site where they think he could have been left is strewn with black bin bags, crumpled aluminium cans and its remoteness is pockmarked by the sound of passing trucks every few seconds.

Specialist Metropolitan Police search teams and their dogs travelled up to search the verge and fields on the south side of the A14 near Naseby as well as another spot just over the county border for any sign of Frank’s remains. This time, their search was unsuccessful.

In a city where there were 131 murders in the year Frank went missing, it’s been difficult for police to gain the media traction they need to get help from the public. In fact, no journalists have ever previously asked detectives any questions about Frank’s life.

But, speaking from Carvells Lane, which runs parallel with the A14, Detective Inspector Laura Nelson is in charge of the investigation and is clearly immersed in her team’s efforts to find Frank. She says they haven’t lost hope of finding a vital clue.

“Frank was married for a long time and about a year before he disappeared, his wife died,” she said. “He’d spent such a long time caring for his wife that he had a limited social network.

"He’d been an absolute saint really, looking after his family.

"It would appear he’d just started to discover the world again.

"He’d set himself up an email account and was travelling around using his new oyster card. The local library had been very helpful.

“He’d found a new lease of life.

"Frank was a creature of habit and the day he went missing was no different to any other day.

Frank was last seen in Highbury Park near its junction with Highbury Grange. He lived in Islington and would normally have had to get a bus to that area. CCTV shows him striding down the road at just after 10pm on that night, with a facemask lowered around his chin.

Because of his limited social network, it wasn’t until September 9 he was reported missing by a concerned friend.

Frank was born in Birmingham and was a Birmingham City fan throughout his life. He had no known connection to Northamptonshire and police cannot reveal why this may have been his final resting place.

He had no children of his own but his siblings are desperate for news.

They had lost touch but had reconnected with their brother in the months before he went missing and last year spoke about how he had seemed happy and positive about the future.

“We really miss his cheerful and gentle personality and his sense of humour," they said.

"He had a zest for life and loved chatting to people and was no doubt looking forward to celebrating his birthday on August 31 and the bank holiday weekend.”

The Met’s painstaking investigation during the past few months led them to Northamptonshire.

Det Insp Nelson added: “Frank’s family are distraught and their grief is compounded by the fact that his body has not yet been found. Our specially trained officers are supporting them.

“My team have been pouring over many hours of CCTV, forensic and ANPR work in what is a very complex investigation. Their diligence and hard work has led to us identifying the two sites in these areas that we believe could have great operational significance.

“Local people could have information that may be extremely important in helping us to establish what happened to Frank.

“I am asking people to remember if they saw any suspicious activity in these areas in late August or early September 2021.

“Did you see any people in the area who were acting suspiciously or looked out of place?

“If your vehicle's dash cam is set to keep footage, I urge you to please check for any material that you think might be helpful to us.

“The slightest fragment of information, a picture or video could be crucial in bringing Frank’s family answers to the many questions they have.”

Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to call 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting reference CAD 3224/13Nov21.

To remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

- Frank’s step-daughter Surie Suksiri, 31, of Earlsferry Way, Islington, and Juned Sheikh, 47, of Haywood Street, Camberwell, were charged with murder last October.

They both denied the charge at the Old Bailey in January and pleaded not guilty to preventing the burial of a body on or around September 3, 2021.

A trial, expected to last four weeks, will begin in October.