LIBBY Squire’s mum broke down at a memorial service for her daughter tonight, after an inquest revealed her body was so badly decomposed it had to be identified by fingerprints.
Students gathered at the University of Hull campus to pay tribute to the 21-year-old student, who was found dead on Wednesday afternoon – more than a month after she went missing.
The family, including Libby’s mum Lisa Squire, stood for the silence at a temporary stage – which was adorned with flowers and pictures of Libby and her mother, who was visibly emotional during the minute silence.
The Squire family and around a thousand students then moved to a tree where tributes had been laid.
Dozens of bunches of flowers were placed by friends of Libby, with heart-breaking messages in tribute to her.
One message read: “Libby, you will be remembered for being one of the kindest people I have ever met.
“I will never forget the lovely things you said to me in Welly.
“Rest well you beautiful girl.”
Another said: “Libby, you were one of our own and we are devastated to have lost you. RIP.”
An inquest into Libby’s death was opened and adjourned this morning.
It revealed the heart-breaking detail that her body had been found so badly decomposed in the River Humber Estuary, her fingerprints had to be used to identify her.
Libby vanished following a night out in Hull on February 1.
Speaking at her inquest today, Detective Superintendent Martin Smalley said investigations into the cause of Libby’s death are ongoing.
It is still very much an active investigation. It’s now been declared a homicide investigation
Det Supt Smalley
As a result her body cannot be released to her family for burial.
Det Supt Smalley told the hearing at Hull Coroner’s Court: “It is still very much an active investigation. It’s now been declared a homicide investigation.
“There are forensic examinations into the post mortem and that work continues.
“Police are not yet in a position to release Libby’s body to the family for the funeral purposes.”
Cops confirmed last week that they are treating her death as a “potential homicide”.
Floral tributes have been left at the scene of her disappearance, with one card reading “gone from our sights but never our hearts.”
Another mourner wrote: “RIP Libby. Our hearts are broken, we all thought you would be home safe. We will keep you in our hearts forever in Hull. Sleep peacefully beautiful angel our candles will light your way home.”
RIP Libby. Our hearts are broken, we all thought you would be home safe. We will keep you in our hearts forever in Hull.
Floral tribute
One message simply said: “Thoughts and prayers go to all. Won’t be forgotten.”
Thousands of people have since posted messages of love and support to Libby’s family on social media.
Among them, one person posted: “My heart goes out to you, your family and Libby’s friends.
“I cannot begin to imagine how you get through this. We are all thinking of you at this terrible time.”
Another said: “I read her post and it is so so sad. What Libby’s family have gone through over the last seven weeks and will have to now deal with is heart-wrenching, you just cannot imagine their grief. Much love sending their way.”
On Saturday Libby’s mum Lisa described her family’s heartache at the loss of their “darling” daughter.
In an emotional tribute, she affectionately referred to her daughter as “Pie” and said she had lost “one of the four most precious things in my life”.
Writing on Facebook, Lisa wrote: “I cannot thank you enough my darling Pie for making me a mummy.
I kept you safe for as long as I could and I am so sorry I could not keep you safe on that night.
Lisa Squire
“For choosing me to be your mummy. It’s an honour, a privilege and a joy.
“I kept you safe for as long as I could and I am so sorry I could not keep you safe on that night. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
Lisa said her lowest point was having to inform her daughter’s boyfriend of her death.
In a statement issued on Friday, Detective Superintendent Martin Smalley, of Humberside Police, said: “While we have considered throughout the missing person inquiry that Libby may have come to some harm, Libby’s death and the recovery of her body now leads us to solely investigate as a potential homicide.”
The detective said a post-mortem examination had taken place but officers would not be releasing any results “for investigative and operational reasons”.
He said: “We have to protect the integrity of the investigation, which is live and very much active and ongoing, with one man who remains under investigation.”
Miss Squire, who has been described as a popular student and studied philosophy at Hull University, vanished after going out with friends on January 31.
She was dropped off in a taxi near her home in Wellesley Avenue at 11.29pm and was seen on a bench near Beverley Road around 10 minutes later.
Miss Squire is believed to have remained in this area until 12.09am the following day, February 1, but was not seen alive after that.
Her disappearance prompted a huge search effort involving more than 100 officers and a team of volunteers.
During the investigation into the disappearance, 24-year-old Pawel Relowicz was arrested on suspicion of abduction.
He has been remanded in custody, having appeared in court on unrelated charges of burglary, voyeurism, outraging public decency and receiving stolen goods.
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