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Paul Jones, the father of murdered schoolgirl April Jones, is set to be buried alongside his daughter’s partial remains.
The 56-year-old tragically passed away after contracting a virus, eight years after he was diagnosed with encephalitis, a brain condition that left him unable to care for himself.
His step-daughter, Jazz Jones, confirmed his death on May 13 in a heartbreaking social media post: “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,” cited by the Daily Star.
Jazz told The Sun that the family is still trying to come to terms with his passing. “It’s only been 24 hours, it’s a lot to get our head around,” she said. “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.
“Dad didn’t want any media attention towards the end, he wanted his privacy, and as a family, we need time to grieve,” she added.
Paul, who was a former pub doorman, had been living in a care home in Swansea. His stepfather, Dai Smith, 72, said he never recovered from the loss of his daughter.
“Paul was devastated by what happened to April, and it’s fair to say he never got over it,” Smith said, per the outlet. “People have said that he became ill because of the tragedy of losing his little girl, but that’s not the case. He had been in hospital for eight years and couldn’t remember anything about April.”
Despite the loss of memory, Paul retained long-term recollections. “He had long-term memory – he could remember things from 30 years ago,” Smith continued. “He was a fantastic man, very strong, he’d walk 15 miles with the dogs and think nothing of it. He was fit and loved the outdoors.
“He went down from 13st to 8st, and when he was first in hospital, he would wander around the wards but didn’t know where he was,” he added.
The stepfather revealed that funeral plans are underway and suggested that Paul will likely be buried in the same grave as April in their hometown of Machynlleth, North Wales.
“The funeral arrangements are still being made, but they’ll (most likely) put him in April’s grave. That would be the fitting thing to do,” he said.
Paul’s daughter was abducted and murdered in one of the UK’s most horrifying child abduction cases.
The five-year-old vanished on October 1, 2012, after being seen getting into a car near her home in Machynlleth. The disappearance triggered one of the largest police searches in UK history and gained national attention.
Mark Bridger, 46 at the time, was arrested the following day. He initially denied the charges but later admitted he was “probably responsible” for April’s death.
Investigators found traces of April’s blood and bone fragments in Bridger’s fireplace, and although he claimed he accidentally hit her with his car while drunk, her full remains were never recovered. Authorities believe he may have scattered them near his home.
Bridger was convicted of abduction, murder, and perverting the course of justice. He was sentenced to a whole life term.
Only some of April’s remains were ever found, and they were buried in Machynlleth. Now, her father may be laid to rest beside them, closing a tragic chapter in the family’s decade-long journey of grief.
