Tragedy as body found in hunt for missing former Doncaster woman, 24
The heartbroken Doncaster family of a 24-year-old woman whose body was found after a police hunt say they have “a lot of questions” about her death – as an appeal is launched to return her body to South Yorkshire.
Lacey Lake was last seen getting into a grey Mercedes taxi in Plymouth last Friday, sparking a huge hunt from Devon and Cornwall Police.
Lacey, originally from Doncaster, was found dead in the village of Tamerton Foliot near Plymouth on Tuesday, police said.
A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesperson said “At around 1.20pm on January 7, officers were called to reports of concern for the welfare of a woman in Linton Close.
"Paramedics also attended but the woman was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. Her death is currently being treated as unexplained, although it is not believed to be suspicious.”
Now, Lacey's family have confirmed "with a broken heart" that the body found was hers.
Her family said that they "had a lot of questions" and have been left devastated by the death of Lacey who was "loved beyond words".
In a statement on Facebook, her aunt Sara French wrote: "It is with a broken heart I need to inform my friends and family Lacey Lake has sadly passed away and her body was found yesterday.
"Thank you to everyone for the kind words and I know this is a shock to everyone but can people please respect our family right now as we have a lot of questions and we are all heartbroken and our privacy needs to be respected and we need to get her back home.
"Lacey you was loved beyond words and I don’t no how we are ever going to get past this I just hope your at peace with your mum.
"Love you always our mini xxxx."
In an earlier post on Facebook, Morgan Hennessy Kelly pleaded for help finding Lacey, who was a Type 1 diabetic and had no insulin with her at the time of her disappearance.
She added that Lacey's phone had been on since her disappearance but no contact had been made.
An appeal has now been launched to return Lacey’s body to Doncaster so she can be buried alongside her mum.
GoFundMe organiser Lisa Gray said: “We are putting up this GoFundMe to help my friend Sara and her family to get her niece Lacey back home to Doncaster so she can be laid to rest with her mum who sadly passed away when Lacey was only a very young girl.
"Her body has sadly been found after being reported missing down Plymouth where she lived.
"She needs to come home back to Doncaster to be laid to rest in the arms of her mum Samantha who sadly died when the children were only very young.
"The cost alone to get her body back to Doncaster isn’t going to be cheap and also to make arrangements for her funeral.”
Money has already been coming in for the appeal and you can donate to the funding drive HERE