A distraught wife is seeking answers regarding her husband’s tragic death after his lifeless body was discovered in a toilet cubicle within Edinburgh’s City Chambers, six days after he entered the stall. Julie Stephen, 47, is “baffled” as to why no one noticed Sean’s prolonged presence in the toilet, despite him complaining of feeling unwell.
The couple had been conversing on the phone as Sean entered the council building on July 1, but after Julie lost contact with him, she reported him missing. However, it wasn’t until nearly a week later that his decomposing body was found. Julie is now urging the police and council officials to explain the circumstances surrounding the delayed discovery of her husband’s body.
Julie recounted: “There’s CCTV footage of him on the phone to me walking up the Royal Mile and into the council building. He was healthy but said he was feeling dizzy and sick. He said he was going to get a taxi.” She continued: “I came off the phone when he was going to do the toilet. That was the last time I spoke to him. How’s no one been in that toilet for six days, it baffles me.”, reports the Daily Record.
With the presence of security guards, cleaners, and a receptionist, Julie is struggling to comprehend the events leading up to the discovery of Sean’s body. The CID is still investigating, leaving Julie with haunting questions: “Could he have been saved? These are questions which will be in my head for the rest of my life.”
In a poignant tribute, Julie shared a picture of Sean, 38, online, accompanied by the caption: “Shame on Edinburgh Council. Left you inside their building for a week. You could’ve been saved.” The couple had been wedded since 2019. Julie disclosed that she sensed something was amiss when Sean failed to answer his phone, leading her to dial 999 that evening.
She stated: “I spoke to police on the phone but the first response I got was he’s 38 years old. He couldn’t be a missing person (yet) because of his age. We spent a week looking for him and put flyers in shops. We went searching everywhere. We were two minutes away from him, we didn’t expect him to be in a locked building. When they found him his body was so decomposed. I couldn’t even see his body. I had to provide his toothbrush for DNA. This could happen to anybody. It’s horrible, it’s torture.”
Julie expressed: “I’m emotionally drained. I’m just asking for help. I just want to bring his body home and lay him to rest. I will get the answers but right now I just need to lay him to rest.” A spokesperson for Police Scotland commented: “At 9.20pm on Tuesday, 1 July, 2025 we received a report of concern for a 38-year-old man in the Edinburgh area who failed to make an pre-arranged appointment. Enquiries were carried out to trace him and he was traced deceased on Monday, 7 July in the High Street area of Edinburgh.”
Edinburgh City Council were also approached for a comment. A Council spokesperson responded: “We’re continuing to assist Police Scotland with their inquiries and can’t comment any further at this stage.” Friends have set up a GoFundMe page to help raise funds to cover the funeral costs for the “loving gentle giant”.
Adele Ford, a close friend of Sean who created the gofundme page, explained: “I’m looking to raise some funds towards Sean’s funeral costs. It’s to lift a bit pressure off his wife Julie and family. Sean went missing on 1st July 2025 and unfortunately was found dead on 7th July 2025.
“This was very unexpected. He’s only 38 years old he had his full life ahead of him he was the most loving gentle giant you’d ever meet. He was born and bred in the Southside area of Edinburgh and was well known by a lot of people.” I was like a sister to Sean. We are absolutely devastated that he was found dead, unexplained. Any help would be appreciated to give him the best send off he deserves. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Following the news of his death, tributes poured in for Sean. On July 1, emergency services rushed to the City Chambers just after 9.20am, responding to reports of an unresponsive man in the customer support hub within the building. Tragically, the 38 year old was declared dead at the scene. Those wishing to contribute to the fundraiser for Sean’s funeral can do so here.
