Garry Peterson was reported missing to Essex Police on the evening of October 13.
His body was not discovered for days until the morning of October 18, when the Metropolitan Police conducted searches along Launders Lane.
It was not the first time officers had visited the site, having previously been alerted to a single-car crash on the road at around 8.50pm on October 2.
According to the Met a “thorough search of the area” was carried out, and a car was recovered from the scene.
Shelley Taylor, Mr Peterson’s ex-partner and mother to their three children, claims the 47-year-old had been in the car that left the road on October 2.
She told this paper of her concerns surrounding the handling of the case, and questioned how Mr Peterson’s body was not discovered “laying out there” for “16 days”.
Shelley said: “I have seen the site, I have walked it.
“I could tell you how many feet it was from the kerbside. How was he laying there for that many days?”
Mr Peterson has been remembered as a “brilliant” and “hardworking” dad and grandad, with a “real great sense of humour.”
He was reported missing by family, after Shelley claims he dropped one of their children off in Romford and “was never seen again”.
She said: “It just was not like Garry, we just could not get hold of him.
“He did not just go on the miss, he never went missing from us.
“I just keep thinking that he will walk back through the door because he would always show up. He was my best friend.”
Essex Police confirmed that Mr Peterson’s last known location had been in Rainham on October 2.
The case was referred to the Metropolitan Police as a result, with the force confirming to this paper that specialist police dogs and the police helicopter were brought in for the search, yet no body was discovered.
Shelley said: “I just can’t believe that in 2025, why was it [the search] left so late?
“I’m feeling frustration, disappointment, anger – I think it’s disgusting.
“I’m appealing for witnesses. I’m appealing for anyone who had seen anything, anything. I’m appealing dashcam footage and doorbell footage.
“I’m appealing to people who take that route on a daily basis. I’m appealing to anybody who was on that road on October 2 between the hours of 8pm and 9pm.
“Life is so short. I feel like I have been robbed.”
The handling of the missing person’s case between the two police forces was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) by the Metropolitan Police.
An investigation is underway by the Met and Essex Police, with any outcome set to be reviewed by the IOPC.
