Jill Foster, wife of millionaire, and man identified as bodies in Shropshire mansion

The two bodies found in a burnt-out Shropshire mansion were identified today as that of Jill Foster and a man - thought to be her millionaire husband Christopher.

Police have launched a murder investigation after discovering that Mrs Foster had been shot in the head. A rifle was found close to the two bodies along with a dog that had also been shot.

The whereabouts of the Fosters' daughter, Kirstie, 15, is unknown. Three horses and two other dogs were also found shot on the estate.

Gary Higgins, of West Mercia Police, said: "We are certain that one of the bodies is that of Jill Foster and the other believed to be that of a man."

Police said dental records were used to identify Mrs Foster’s body. A rifle was recovered near the two bodies which has been identified as a .22 rim fire rifle which was legitimately owned by Christopher Foster.

Mr Higgins said further tests were needed before it could be established whether the rifle was the murder weapon. Police said spent and unspent gun cartridges were found scattered around the grounds of the property.

Mr Higgins added: “The post-mortem examination did show that Jill died from a gunshot wound to the head. Further tests are needed to try and establish a cause of death for the other body.

“The two bodies were found close to one another and the body of another dog found nearby.

“The dog has also been subject of a post-mortem examination, which revealed it too had been shot.

“Three horses and three dogs found in the outhouses had also been shot.

“Further tests are needed to establish whether the rifle found was the one used in the murder and to kill the animals.”

The Foster family was last seen returning to the country estate - Osbaston House in the village of Maesbrook - from a friend’s barbecue on Bank Holiday Monday at around 8.30pm.

A horsebox was rammed against the gates to prevent access and the family’s cars were also set alight.

Mr Foster is now known to have been facing ruin after the loss of his business with debts of about £1.8m. A legal restriction was imposed on his mansion in May, blocking its sale without authorisation from corporate liquidators.

It has also emerged that Kirstie, a student at the £16,500-a-year Ellesmere College in Shropshire, is believed to have been chatting to friends on the internet before she was disconnected around 1am - just a couple of hours before the fire took hold.

Mr Foster's company Ulva Limited, which supplied insulation to oil rigs, had gone in to liquidation earlier this year owing £800,000 in unpaid tax.

The company was also facing legal action from one of its suppliers and Mr Foster was described as “bereft of the basic instincts of commercial morality” by a High Court judge.

Terence Baines, a former director of Ulva Ltd, said: “He was just an ordinary everyday chap, well-dressed, a good businessman (from timesonline)

A very sad story...

Tis a sad story ... Wonder where the daughter is ?!?!

And i also wonder if they will ever find out what really happened....

All very odd to moi....

yer thought the same thing kiwis kitten,wher eis she?
could speculate that .......
and accordin to the news on tv from the police the same gun was used to put down all the animals...strange will the second body be the Mr?
hey would make a good film eh one of them detective type ones where u see the end then piece it back to the begining or one of those that starts off where it is now and then inds out what happend ermm think thats the same as i just said hey theres abot 6 differnet stories to be told there eh
humm aint life wierd

A third body found at the burnt-out
Shropshire mansion of millionaire businessman Christopher Foster is
believed to be that of his teenage daughter Kirstie.


Police have found a third body in the charred remains of Christopher Foster's
Shropshire mansion.


The remains have yet to be formally identified but police hope to
remove them by the end of today and a post-mortem will take place
tonight or tomorrow morning.A forensic archaeologist has visited
the site to offer specialist advice to those working to recover the
body from the wreckage of the building.Detectives have already
launched a murder inquiry after one body found in the house was
identified as Mr Foster's wife Jill, 49. She had been shot in the head.The
body of a man, believed to be that of Mr Foster, 50, has also been
found
and tests are being carried out to confirm the identity.Kirstie, 15,
has not been seen since the building was ravaged by fire in the early
hours of Tuesday.The
Foster family attended a barbecue at a friend's house on Monday night
and returned to their home, Osbaston House, that evening. Kirstie
then chatted online to friends until 1am. The fire, which police say
was
started deliberately, broke out three hours later. When emergency
services arrived at the secluded mansion they found three horses and
three dogs had been shot. A fourth dog, which had also been shot dead,
was found near Mrs Foster's body. Supt Gary Higgins, of West Mercia
Constabulary, said Mrs Foster's body was identified through dental
records. He
said further tests will be carried out on the second and third bodies
but
it may be "some time" before formal identification is possible. A gun
was found in the wreckage which has been identified as a .22 rimfire
rifle and was legally owned by Mr Foster. Spent and unspent gun
cartridges were also found scattered around the grounds of the
property. The search for bodies has been hampered by the instability of
the fire-damaged building.Investigators had to wait three days to get
into Osbaston House due to the heat and danger of falling debris. Mr
Foster amassed his fortune developing insulation technology for oil
rigs. But
earlier this year the businessman was branded "bereft of the basic
instincts of commercial morality" by a High Court judge who added that
Mr Foster was someone "not to be trusted". Court documents show
that Mr Foster's company, Ulva Ltd, which had gone into liquidation,
faced legal action from one of its suppliers for thousands of pounds
and
owed about £800,000 in tax.Bailiffs are thought to have arrived at Mr
Foster's home only a few hours after the fire broke out.Accountant
Terence Baines, a former director of Ulva Ltd, said he feared the
millionaire may have "just flipped because the pressure of it was too
much for him". Detective Superintendent Jon Groves, of West
Mercia Constabulary said: "Work has now begun to extricate the third
body
to allow formal identification and a post-mortem to take place."We are
hoping to get it out by the end of today, with a post-mortem taking
place either tonight or tomorrow."

Seems very strange to me .