Police investigate Didcot murders after suspect found dead

Detectives investigating the murders of a six-year-old girl, her mother and her father will switch their attention to the circumstances of their deaths after finding the body of the prime suspect.

Jed Allen, 21, was found dead in a wooded area of Oxford yesterday evening, ending a 30-hour manhunt which began when the bodies of his sister Derin, Janet Jordon, 48, and Philip Howard, 44 were found at their home in Didcot.

They had been stabbed to death.

Thames Valley Police confirmed officers were not looking for anyone else in connection with the murders.

The school where six-year-old Derin Jordan was a pupil has been left devastated by her murder, her headteacher has said.

Parents with young children laid flowers and teddy bears outside All Saints primary school in Didcot yesterday after news of the Year One pupil's death broke.

Headteacher John Myers said the reaction had been "devastation, shock, sadness", describing it as a "terrible tragedy".

"Anybody's life is precious and to lose parents and particularly a young girl in such a dreadful manner is truly awful."

Mr Myers described Derin as "beautiful, gentle, quiet, smiley, happy, precious, a lovely girl", adding that they seemed like "a perfectly normal, happy family".

Jed Allen might have sent texts to several of his friends in the hours after three of his family members were killed in Didcot, according to reports.

The Sun is reporting that he sent seven of his friends a long, rambling message in which he wrote "I've done something bad".

A friend told the tabloid: "Jed texted seven of us. It was a long message but it told us that he had done something bad and asked us to call the police. It was a deeply personal message."

Police are now turning their attention to the circumstances of the killings after 21-year-old Allen was found dead in Oxford.

Murder suspect Jed Allen is believed to have been found dead by police.

Detectives had been hunting the 21-year-old since Friday following the discovery of the bodies of his mother, stepfather and stepsister.

Janet Jordon, 48, Philip Howard, 44, and their six-year-old daughter Derin were found stabbed at their home in Didcot, Oxfordshire.

Thames Valley Police said the body was found in woodland barely a mile from Oxford University parks just after 5pm.

They added they are not seeking anyone else in connection with the deaths.

Police hunting for Jed Allen - who is suspected of killing his sister, their mother and her partner - say they have recovered what they believe is the murder weapon at the crime scene.

Flowers have been laid outside the All Saints Primary School in Didcot in memory of 6-year old Derrin Jordon.

The body of Derrin was found at house in Didcot on Saturday. The bodies of her mother Janet Jordan and her partner Philip Howard were also discovered at the property.

Thames Valley are searching for Jed Allen in connection with the deaths.