Three people found dead after five go missing after a night out in Newport

Gwent Police has found three bodies in the search for five people who were reported missing after a night out in South Wales.

Sophie Russon, 20, Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were last seen at around 2:00 am on Saturday 4th March in Newport.

Now the bodies of Eve, Darcy and Rafel have been found after the car the five were travelling home in was discovered by police having come off the road. Both Sophie and Shane were taken to hospital with serious injuries and remain in critical condition.

On Friday night, the three Newport residents Sophie Russon, Eve Smith, and Darcy Ross were at the Muffler nightclub in Maesglas before, according to acquaintances, they travelled to Trecco Bay in Porthcawl with Cardiff residents Shane Loughlin and Rafel Jeanne.

They are thought to have departed Porthcawl and returned to Cardiff, where they were last seen at 2am in the Llanedeyrn neighbourhood. Relatives and friends claimed they had not used social media since Saturday morning at around two.

Over the weekend the group were missing, their family and friends made a number of pleas and appeals for information after growing increasingly worried as time passed. It was “unusual”, according to one family member, that they hadn’t been in touch.

Now, on Monday at 4:35 am, Gwent Police announced that the Volkswagen Tiguan the five were travelling home in had been found shortly after midnight in Cardiff’s Saint Mellons neighbourhood.

The car allegedly left the A48, the primary route that connects Llanedeyrn with Newport, and was involved in a traffic accident

On Monday morning around 8:00 am, South Wales Police released the following statement: “On the roundabout in Cardiff connecting Eastern Avenue with Newport Road and the A48, there is an ongoing incident that we are witnessing. Right now, all directions of the road are blocked off. It’s anticipated that it won’t reopen for some time.”

In accordance with standard process, the file has been forwarded to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Police are asking anyone with information to phone 101 or send a direct message on social media with the reference number 2300071791.

Images via social media and family appeals.

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