April Jones’ parents and family recently paid tribute to the murdered schoolgirl in a message to mark what would have been her 14th birthday.
It’s been almost a decade since April went missing from her home in Machynlleth, Powys, Wales.
April was abducted and killed by local man Mark Bridger, who is currently in jail for her murder.
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April Jones’ family: What did they say?
The family honoured April in a birthday message on Easter Sunday in April.
They said: “Today it is your birthday, you should have been turning 14 years old and, despite a pandemic and being locked down, I’m sure you’d have had a lovely day.
“Instead you spent just 2,007 days on this earth, and will be forever five years old with the cheekiest and purest smile.
“You’ll be remembered for your ability to ride a bike at such a young age, your love for animals and the outdoors.
“You’ll be remembered for your love for your mummy, daddy and siblings and how you ruled the roost and had a wee cheeky nature despite being loving and kind.
“We will think of you every time we see the colour pink and rainbows in the sky, we will think of you and remember you always.”
April’s dad Paul tragically developed a rare brain illness.
Doctors diagnosed him with a rare brain disease, the family revealed in February 2018.
The illness left him unable to remember the murder.
Wife Coral told the Mirror how Paul could not understand why April had not visited him in hospital.
What happened to April?
Paedophile Mark Bridger abducted and killed April Jones on October 01 2012.
Her disappearance sparked the biggest search in British policing history.
Mark Bridger is currently serving a life sentence for her murder.
However, he never admitted he’d killed her.
Nor did he ever reveal where he put the body of the five year old schoolgirl.
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Police officers were left “broken”
Meanwhile, a former Dyfed Powys Police officer admitted he was left “broken” after working on the April Jones murder case.
Gary Hayes is now urging officers to speak out about their mental health after founding the non-for-profit organisation PTSD999.
Gary, no longer an officer, worked on the disappearance of April Jones.
The father-of-three said: “I’ve never seen a team so broken.
“Around eight of us working on that case were parents and it impacted us all.
“We had a six-hour drive back home and no-one spoke in the van for the entire time, it was bizarre.
“The job can be emotional and draining.
“You go from job to job with very little down time, trying to normalise the things you see.”
April Jones: The Murder Tapes airs on Thursday May 20 2021 at 11.05pm on Channel 5.
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