Vernon teen’s family preparing to bring her body home from the U.K.
Posted February 11, 2022 9:13 am.
The family of an Okanagan teen who was murdered in the U.K. will soon be bringing her body home.
Ashley Wadsworth, 19, was found dead earlier this month in Essex, near London.
Her cousin, Melissa Locke, tells CityNews she’s unsure when exactly the 19-year-old’s remains will arrive in Vernon, her hometown, but efforts are underway to get that going.
More than $35,000 has been raised by an online fundraiser set up to help support the family.
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Wadsworth moved to the U.K. in November, according to her social media pages, to be with her boyfriend, Jack Sepple.
The B.C. teen was killed in a Chelmsford home on Tuesday, Feb. 1. Police had responded to the address for reports of a disturbance, but first responders were not able to save Wadsworth.
Sepple, 23, has been charged with murder in connection with her death.
Wadsworth’s family and the close-knit community she was a part of have been devastated by her death.
In a previous interview with CityNews, Locke described her cousin as a vibrant and charismatic person who had a heart of gold.
“There’s over 50 of us that live in the same small town,” said Locke, who thinks of Wadsworth more like a sister.
Locke said loved ones were shattered by the loss, adding, “This isn’t supposed to happen to your family.”
The money raised by the GoFundMe page will be used to help lay Wadsworth to rest in B.C. The person behind the fundraiser says anything remaining will likely be donated to charity in her name.
The fundraiser also notes WestJet has offered its support, writing the airline has “stepped up” to help bring Wadsworth’s body home.
“They truly have gone above and beyond to help get our Ashely home to her family. Within the next week Ashley Ann Wadsworth will be flown home to be with her family. A moment that we all have been waiting for,” the page reads in part.
