Marc Williams: Lewis Ashdown charged with murder

A man has been charged with the murder of a teenager who went missing at the weekend.

Marc Williams, 18, was reported missing in Uckfield, East Sussex, on Sunday. On Tuesday search teams found his body in woodland in the Heron's Ghyll area.

Lewis Ashdown, 19, of Normansland, Fairwarp, Uckfield, has been charged with murder.

He appeared before Brighton Magistrates' Court and will face Lewes Crown Court on Friday.

Mr Williams went to the Maresfield area on Saturday evening.

He called his family about 23:30 BST to say he was on his way home but did not return. His body was formally identified on Thursday.

The family of Mr Williams paid tribute to him in a statement released through Sussex Police.

They said: "Marc touched the hearts of so many people, and made their lives brighter with his loving, caring and thoughtful actions.

"We are feeling his loss every second and that will never change. Our hearts are broken."

Det Ch Insp Emma Vickers said: "Our thoughts remain with Marc's family at this difficult time. His family are being supported by specially-trained officers and we ask that their privacy is respected.

"This is a fast-moving inquiry and we thank the public for their patience and understanding as we continue to carry out our work in the area."

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