A mum whose two children arrived home to find their house empty was found dead in a field following a huge seven-day search operation. Rebecca Holdham, 38, vanished after leaving her home in Hassocks, Sussex on Sunday, September 7. Two days earlier, she had resigned from her role as a company director of a plumbing firm. Her two children had been out but arrived home to find their mother was not there, and the alarm was raised.
Drones, dogs and a police helicopter searched fields and woodland nearby, with friends and locals also joining the search. But on September 14, Sussex Police said a body was found and police erected a tent in a field just behind the main road between Hassocks and Burgess Hill, near The Thatched Inn pub. The spot was just over half a mile from her home.
Coroner’s Officer Eve Wilton said: “A post mortem examination concluded drug consumption contributed to the cause of her death.”
An inquest heard the single mum’s death was caused by drugs, with a post-mortem giving the initial cause of death as “acute and chronic” drug use.
Assistant coroner Lisa Milner said a background report and any concerns from the family will be investigated.
“If she was known to drug and alcohol misuse services, I will determine if a report is required,” the coroner said.
A full inquest is expected in April next year.