Police confirm body found is missing student Joy Morgan
Joy has been missing since Boxing Day
Hayley SoenPolice have confirmed that a body discovered in woodland over the weekend is missing student Joy Morgan.
Joy’s body was discovered by members of the public in Stevenage on Saturday.
21-year-old Joy Morgan was a second year Midwifery student at Hertfordshire University and was last seen on Boxing Day last year. She disappeared after attending a celebratory dinner at her church group in Ilford, east London. She was reported missing in February after her housemates at university began to worry that they hadn’t heard from her.
Joy Morgan
Shohfah-El Israel, who also attended the church group, was found guilty of Joy’s murder on August 5th 2019. However he had refused to say where her body was.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years for the murder. He is said to have remained emotionless as he was convicted.
Israel was described in court as “manipulative” towards Joy and “dishonest”. Passing sentence, Judge Michael Soole said: “Only you know the circumstances of your terrible deed and why you did it.
“On top of all this must be the very particular and continuing distress and suffering which flows from your cruel and cowardly silence about Joy Morgan’s final resting place.
“You are evidently an intelligent man and have said nothing beyond the lies and the explanations which the jury has rejected.”
Then this weekend, Hertfordshire Police said officers were called to reports of a suspected human body found in woodland at Chadwell Road, Norton Green.
A post-mortem examination could not establish a cause of death and further tests will be carried out.
After confirmation the body found was Joy Morgan, her mother Carol said: “Joy was so beautiful and completely lived up to her name – she brought joy to all our lives.
“Our family has been living a nightmare and we miss her so, so much. Joy was studying to be a midwife and would have graduated by now.
“I know she would have been amazing as a midwife. I was so proud of her and I always will be. She was our star.”