A murder victim's body lay undiscovered for weeks despite police having been alerted to someone calling for help at the same address where the killing took place.
Avon and Somerset Police received an anonymous call reporting someone had been heard shouting "call the police" and sent officers to a flat in Yeovil. A man at the property refused to let them inside, claiming he lived there.
Second tip-off received weeks later
Three weeks later, the force received another anonymous tip-off suggesting there was a dead body at the same address. Despite carrying out inquiries, police were unable to locate any remains at the property.
It was only after several people were arrested that the body of Michael Wheeler, 37, was found elsewhere in a derelict caravan on farmland in Yarlington on September 25, 2024. The last confirmed sighting of Mr Wheeler alive was on August 24, 2024.
Murder over £100 debt
Mr Wheeler was killed by Mark Roberts and David Garland at Roberts' flat in Yeovil on August 24, 2024. They murdered him over £100 and a mistaken belief that he was a convicted paedophile.
Details of the police response emerged in a report published on Thursday by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The watchdog investigated the decisions made by the sergeant who responded to the initial emergency call.
Investigation into police response
The IOPC report revealed that police received anonymous information suggesting Mr Wheeler had been murdered two or three weeks before the second tip-off. Several arrests were made, including the man who had refused officers entry to the property during the initial visit.
An IOPC spokesperson said they began an independent investigation following a mandatory conduct referral from Avon and Somerset Police received on September 20. The investigation concluded in March and they are informing all parties of the outcome.
(PA/London) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
