A 66-year-old man has pleaded guilty to murdering Patricia Lashley, a mother of seven, in 1998. Trevor Dunkley also admitted to preventing the lawful burial of Ms. Lashley, who disappeared near her home in Dudley, West Midlands, in September of that year.
Dunkley appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday and showed no emotion as his barrister informed the judge that the charges followed admissions made during a police interview. When asked by the judge if the victim's body had been found, the barrister stated it had not been recovered because it had decomposed in a cellar for approximately nine months to a year before the skeleton was disposed of in bins during a house move. The plea is based on what the defendant told the police, as there is no other physical evidence of the crime.
Patricia Lashley was last seen near her home on Hall Street, Dudley, in September 1998. West Midlands Police had previously stated that Ms. Lashley and Dunkley knew each other. Ms. Lashley, who was known locally as Pat or Jade, moved to Dudley in the mid-1990s and frequented local clubs and pubs. She also used other names, including Vanessa and Tricia, and the surname Bradford, and had known links to London, Newcastle, Wales, and Scotland.
Her family made a public appeal to find her in 2017. Several family members were present in the courtroom for Dunkley's plea. Dunkley, who appeared in court wearing glasses and a grey sweater, was remanded in custody. His sentencing is scheduled for November 6.