The body of a dad who vanished 33 days ago has been found.
Shaun James, 35, was last seen alive in March but now Staffordshire Police has confirmed that they have discovered his body and said the death is currently 'unexplained.'
His ex-partner Sarah Rowlinson, 34, has decided to create an online appeal to support his two boys Jayden, 13, and 11-year-old Leyton following the tragic death, report Stoke On Trent Live.
Sarah said: “He just adored his boys, absolutely adored them. He always talked about how proud he was of them, how much they’d come on. Every conversation, he would talk about them that much. He would say how proud he was of the young men they were turning into.
“It was the one thing you couldn't shut him up about, he would forever talk about them. They are like mini-Shauns.
“I wanted to do something for them and their mum. They can use the money to go on day trips. He was massively into the boys doing things and being out in the world. They could go on trips that they think Shaun would have liked and think of him.
“I also wanted to be able to make this a major tribute for the man that Shaun was. The boys can look at the messages from donors and see how much he touched people and how much he’s going to be missed.”
The boys' mum, Ann-Louise Lovatt said: “It’s really nice and thoughtful of Sarah. I wasn’t expecting anybody to do anything like that for the children. It’s nice for the boys to see how many people care.”
Shaun worked at Autonet Insurance in Burslem and lived together with Sarah between 2021 and 2023 before they split up earlier this year.
Sarah added: “Shaun was one of them - he had piercing eyes and a cheeky smile. No way could anyone walk past him without looking at him.
“He liked being around people, he liked being with his friends and family. Shaun always promoted talking about what you’re thinking. His intelligence, my God, I’ve never known anything like it.”
Sarah says cops informed her about Shaun's death on Thursday, April 20.
She added: “I knew, as soon as I got the knock, it was that knock. I had it in my gut. The officer told me.
"He had to deal with my hysterics and emotions. He stayed with me until my friend arrived and even then he comforted me before he went.
“When he was missing we just wanted him found. We needed closure as we didn’t know where he was, if he’d been hurt or anything. But since he’s been found, it’s worse. We thought we would have a conclusion by him being found but I didn’t find the closure I needed. This now is worse than not knowing because at least before we still had hope.
“You go through that many different thoughts of what could have happened. You just want to know that he didn’t suffer. You imagine all the things that could have happened, it’s still unexplained.
“Because we didn’t find him, you start blaming yourself, you think, could we have found him quicker? You’re breaking your head because there are that many questions going through it. It's devastating. You don’t imagine it, he was only 35. It’s heart-breaking.”
To donate to the GoFundMe, click here.
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