The family of Lorraine Cox have issued a statement following the murder conviction of Azam Mangori at Exeter Crown Court this afternoon.
They said: “This will be the first time the family have spoken publicly since the traumatic loss of Lorraine, the most kind-hearted, loving generous girl – the heartbeat of our family.
“As I am sure you can all appreciate, the last seven months have been a very difficult time. The five weeks that this trial has run its course have been both mentally and emotionally exhausting.
“With that in mind, we have not been able to put a comment together about the case yet.
“We feel it’s right that we take a bit of time to reflect on what has been a complex case and to think about everything, and offer any thoughts that we as a family feel might need to be addressed.
“We hope and pray that no other woman or family has to go through what our beautiful girl suffered, or that any other family suffers the brutal, distressing experience we have all been through.
“But, we would like to take this opportunity to thank the thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of people across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom and beyond for being by our side.
“We could not be more grateful for the help on everything from searches, the designing, printing and distribution of missing person posters, through to the overwhelming moral support in the form of many hundreds of empathetic messages, both publicly and privately, and the never-ending supply of home-cooked meals that literally kept us going, and for keeping Lorraine’s name on the tip of everyone’s tongue and her face at the forefront of everybody’s minds through social media and word-of-mouth at what was a heart-breaking time.
“Sadly, we will never be able to see Lorraine alive again, but we couldn’t have asked for more from the public and we shall be forever grateful for their continued help and support, both during and after this period.
“Nothing will ever repair the broken hearts the family suffer every day and will for the rest of our lives.
“Finally, the family would like to say, with not a single confirmed sighting, we believe the actions and collective spirit of the many, mostly nameless, heroes is ultimately the reason we had a body to lay to rest. For that, we will be forever thankful.
“We would like to say thank you for the fact that, even in these most tragic of circumstances, with the help and support of ISCA funeral directors and the mind-blowing generosity of the JustGiving page, we were at least able to give Lorraine a beautiful service.
“Thank you all.”
Mangori, 23, also known as Christopher Mayer, of no fixed abode, was found guilty of murder by a jury at Exeter Crown Court following a five-week trial.
Azam Mangori killed 32-year-old Miss Cox in his room above a kebab shop after homing in on her as she walked alone through the city centre in the early hours of 1 September, 2020, after spending the bank holiday drinking with friends.
He kept her body for several days before dismembering it and disposing of remains in an alleyway and woodland.
He will be sentenced on Wednesday 7 April.
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