Avril Jones dies in prison, leaving Margaret Fleming’s disappearance unexplained

Avril Jones, jailed for murdering vulnerable teenager Margaret Fleming and taking her benefits, has died aged 66 in HMP Stirling. Her death leaves the circumstances of Fleming’s disappearance unresolved, as her remains have never been found and Jones did not reveal what happened.

Jones and Edward Cairney were convicted in 2019 and sentenced to life imprisonment after investigators discovered that no one had independently seen Fleming since 1999, despite benefit claims continuing in her name. Jones was convicted of taking £182,000; Cairney died in prison in 2023. A mandatory fatal accident inquiry will follow Jones’s death in custody, and police say they will still act on information about Fleming’s remains.