Debbie Griggs’ three sons played in garden where pregnant mum’s remains were hidden by killer husband
A TWISTED dad who murdered his wife buried her remains in the garden of his new home – where their kids played on the grass.
Debbie Griggs, 34, vanished from the family home in Deal, Kent, in May 1999 when she was four months pregnant.
Her husband, ex-fisherman Andrew Griggs, 60, moved to a new house with his and Debbie’s three young sons and his second wife in 2001.
He was jailed for life for her murder in October 2019 – but her body lay undiscovered for over two decades.
Yesterday Kent Police confirmed that human remains found in the garden of the house he moved to 21 years ago – 145 miles away in St Leonards, Dorset – were those of the missing mum-of-three.
Cops began an excavation earlier this month after a tip-off and found remains including teeth fragments – which a post-mortem confirmed as Debbie’s.
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Further tests will be carried out to establish how the doting mum died.
It’s believed Andrew Griggs moved the remains from Kent to Dorset when he moved house.
And shockingly, the couple’s three kids grew up convinced their dad was innocent – and unaware their mum’s remains were under the very grass they played on.
Last night, Andrew’s mother Pamela Griggs, 86, told The Sun that Debbie’s children Jeremy, 29, Jake, 27, and Luke, 25, would often run around in the garden where their mum’s remains were found.
Speaking at her home just a few miles away from the house in St Leonard’s, she said: “ I actually bought the house with my late husband.
“Andrew and the three boys moved in with us after she went missing. I helped bring them up.
“They used to play in the garden and do all the things young boys do.
“We had no idea what had happened to their mother just that she had gone off.
“We lived there with them for eight years before we moved out and bought a bungalow but we visited Andrew, his new wife and the boys regularly.”
Mrs Griggs said that she had been told about human remains being found in the garden last Friday by a relative. She said: “I’m in shock, I just don’t know what to think. My head just won’t take it in.
“I can’t put two and two together.”
Debbie was reported missing by Griggs on May 5, 1999, while she was four months pregnant.
He claimed she had left the family home in a rage after he came home from work and fell asleep.
Her white Peugeot 309 was found abandoned days after her disappearance 1.3 miles from their home in Walmer.
HORROR FIND
In March 2019, Griggs, who remarried, was charged with murdering Debbie following a cold case review.
At his trial, prosecutors argued he killed his wife who believed he was having an affair with a 15-year-old girl.
Griggs was jailed for life with a minimum of 20 years as Debbie’s three children begged him to reveal where her body was.
During sentencing, the judge said it was likely the keen sailor had “dumped her body at sea”.
Last night, Debbie’s devastated sister Wendie Rowlinson posted about the heart-breaking discovery.
She said: “In short, two years after he murdered her, he moved house and actually took her with him.
“Then buried her in the back yard.
“PM confirmed it definitely her, plus her unborn (18 week) son. Lots of unbelievable nasty details.
“But for me, the most unbelievable is that he took her to the new house.
“I truly don’t think any murderer has done that before.”
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Kimber of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said: “It is now more than 20 years since Debbie Griggs was murdered by her husband but we have never given up hope of one day finding her remains and giving her loved ones some closure.
“Andrew Griggs denied being responsible for his wife’s disappearance but this discovery is further proof that he was lying all along, causing even greater anguish for everyone who knew and loved Debbie.
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“Whilst they continue to mourn her tragic loss to this day, I hope they can take some comfort in the knowledge that she can now be laid to rest.
“We will continue to keep Debbie’s family updated on the progress of our ongoing enquiries and provide support to them at this difficult time.”