SANDIE Bowen - whose body was found in Wentwood Reservoir last month, almost 19 years after her husband Mike was found guilty of her murder - was unlawfully killed, a coroner has ruled.
Mrs Bowen, who was 54 years old when she went missing from her hone in Llandogo, Monmouthshire, on or around August 4, 1997, was identified from dental records and DNA analysis after her body was discovered on February 1.
It was found tied to a porcelain sink at the bottom of the reservoir, which had not been fully drained for more than 100 years.
Her husband Mike was sentenced to life imprisonment following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court, in May 1998.
A post mortem examination on her remains concluded that the cause of death was unascertained.
"Bearing in mind that no conclusion shall be inconsistent with the findings of a superior court, the conclusion is that Sandra Bowen was unlawfully killed," said senior coroner for Gwent David Bowen.
He released Mrs Bowen's remains to her family for funeral purposes.
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