Natalie Putt: Sisters still living in hope of finding missing Dudley mother alive despite murder probe
The devastated family of Natalie Putt today revealed they are not giving up home of finding her safe and well, despite police announcing that they feared she had been murdered.
Officers are digging at Ruiton Cemetery in Upper Gornal after fresh information led them to believe the teenage mum had been killed.
Natalie disappeared from her home in September 2003, leaving a young son behind. She lived just 150 metres from the scene being searched today.
This afternoon, her family said: "To hear of the news and events regarding Natalie’s disappearance is absolutely devastating to all of the family.
"We are obviously very upset about the developments and as such would ask that our family is left in peace until such time that we hear of definitive news from the police.
"In the near 14 years that Natalie has been missing, we have never given up hope of finding her safe and well.
"Until we know anything to the contrary this remains the case.
"We her sisters, Becky and Lowri, are together and surrounded by pictures of Natalie and have lit candles as a sign of hope.
"We ask for privacy."
And today they said 'at least two people' know why police had to chose to search the cemetery for Natalie, who officers fear was murdered.
The search is being carried out four days after Natalie's image was displayed to millions of viewers during a performance on ITV's Britain's Got Talent.
Natalie, who left her 11-week-old son Rhys behind with her partner Kevin McCallum, left her home in Lower Gornal to go to a shop in September 2003. The 17-year-old was never seen again.
Police have carried out searches of land, rivers and lakes, and two years ago scoured farmland in Wombourne where she is believed to have kept horses. All have proved in vain.
A search team arrived at Ruiton Cemetery at around 5am today and are looking at four graves in particular.
At least two forensic tents have been erected at the cemetery, which is between Duke Street and Thornleigh - the road where Natalie lived and disappeared from 14 years ago.
