Mark Brown: Police still committed to finding victim's missing body

Brown, 41, who described himself as a “psychopath with a conscience” has been sentenced to two life terms in prison for killing two young mothers.

He was found guilty last month of murdering Leah Ware and Alexandra Morgan.

He was sentenced by Judge Justice Nicholas Hilliard in his absence yesterday after he refused to attend Hove Crown Court.

He was given two life sentences, to be served concurrently with a minimum term of 49 years.

Detective Superintendent Andy Wolstenholme, of the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, said: “Even though the court case has concluded, we are still committed to following up all viable lines of enquiry that may help us locate Leah’s body and give her family some of the answers they so desperately want and deserve.”

• READ MORE: How did Mark Brown disguise his life as a killer for so long?

The first investigation was launched in November 2021 when Alex Morgan’s parents reported her missing to Kent Police after she failed to return home as expected.

A mother of two young children, Ms Morgan had met Brown through an adult services website.

Extensive detective work established – via hours of analysing ANPR and CCTV footage as well as her phone records – that on Sunday, November 14, she had driven from her home in Sissinghurst to meet Brown at Little Bridge Farm near Hastings.

Brown, of Squirrel Close, St Leonards, was charged with her murder on November 28, 2021, after evidence showed he had murdered her at Little Bridge Farm and burned her body in an oil drum.

Officers found the oil drum at a building site near Sevenoaks where Brown was employed, and forensic odontologists used dental records to confirm the remains were those of Ms Morgan.

• READ MORE: Victims' families share grief as double murderer is jailed

After appearing in court, Brown was presented with this evidence and subsequently admitted burning Ms Morgan's body after she died but insisted he was not responsible for her murder, rather that she died after slipping and falling over at the site.

While searching Brown’s van, officers found prescription drugs in the name of Leah Ware.

Believing she may be able to help with their enquiries, detectives tried to find her but were unable to do so.

On November 26, 2021, Kent Police contacted Sussex Police to raise concerns about her welfare and officers opened a missing person investigation.

Detectives discovered shehad been in a relationship with Brown, having met him through an adult services website in March 2018, and that she lived in a shipping container he kept at Little Bridge Farm.

However, no one had seen or spoken to her since early May 2021.

She had not been in contact with family or friends, either in person or online, and detectives established there was no record of her using a mobile phone, accessing her finances, or receiving medical care since that time.

Sussex Police detectives concluded that Brown was the last person to see her alive, and that she died on or around the evening of May 7, 2021.

Leah Ware's body has never been found (Image: Sussex Police)

Following her death, Brown had tried to create the impression she was still alive.

He collected her weekly prescriptions and made regular withdrawals from her bank account.

Already in custody for the murder of Ms Morgan, Brown was then interviewed by Sussex Police officers in relation to the disappearance of Ms Ware.

He gave no comment and was subsequently charged with her murder on February 1 last year.

• READ MORE: Mark Brown found guilty of killing Leah Ware and Alexandra Morgan 

Detective Chief Inspector Neil Kimber, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: “Brown is a dangerous individual who poses a significant threat to women. He preyed on the vulnerabilities of Leah and Alex and worked to build their trust, only to then exploit it for his own personal gain.

“It was important for his sentence to truly reflect the abhorrent nature of his crimes and ensure he’s not in a position to harm any other women for the rest of his life.”

Brown refused to appear in court for his sentencing (Image: Sussex Police)

Detective Superintendent Andy Wolstenholme, of the Surrey and Sussex
Major Crime Team, said: "We hope the conviction and sentence of Mark Brown will bring some sense of justice to the families of both Alex and Leah, and allow them to come to terms with the tragic loss of their loved ones."