KCL nursing student Owami Davies has been found alive and well in Hampshire according to the Metropolitan Police.
She was found following a member of the public’s response to a police appeal at 10:30 BST this morning. Their response was the 118th possible sighting reported of Davies in response to the appeal.
Davies, 24, was was last seen in West Croydon on 7 July after leaving her family home in Grays, Essex on 4 July. Upon leaving, she told her mother she was going to the gym. Her family reported her missing to Essex Police on 6 July, with the Met later taking over her case on 23 July.
Attempting to find Davies, around 50 police went through 50,000 hours of CCTV footage to retrace her steps.
Davies’ family has spoken to her and she seemed to be in good health and well taken care of. Officers will speak with Davies later about her welfare.
Det Ch Insp Nigel Penny, the leader of Davies’ investigation, stated this was “the outcome we were all hoping and praying for”.
“I’d like to say she has been found safe and well outside the London area in the county of Hampshire and she’s currently with specialist officers from my team.”
He added: “She looks in good health, she’s in a place of safety, and not currently in the vulnerable state that we were led to believe she was in at the start of her disappearance.”
Cmdr Paul Brogden and Mr Penny stated they were “ecstatic” at Davies being found, Mr Brogden noting “More importantly I’m pleased for Owami’s mother and her brother”. Brogden added that “all aspects”of the investigation would be reviewed to assess whether there is “any learning that we need to take” from how it was handled.
Prior to her disappearance, Davies was reaching the end of her nursing studies at KCL and was planning to pursue research on diseases. She had a job lined up at Guys St Thomas Trust (GSTT) following her job as an A&E nurse during the pandemic. GSTT expressed their joy that she was found safe, tweeting: “We are delighted that our colleague Owami has been found and is safe. Thank you to everyone who helped to find her.”
On 6 July, the day she was reported missing to Essex Police by family, she was spoken to by Met officers on Clarendon Road, Croydon, following her sleeping in a doorway while waiting for a friend. She told Met Police officers she did not want help and left the property. She was not logged in the police database as a missing person at this time despite her being reported missing.
Detectives stated on Monday that Davies could be sleeping rough due to the lack of money on her Oyster card and the fact that she had no access to her phone or bank cards. However, they said they were looking at all possibilities.
