THE grieving dad of young Southampton mum Lucy Simms fears he may never find out how his daughter died.
Lucy was found dead at her home in June but despite numerous toxicology samples being sent for examination, none have yet revealed a cause of death.
Now her dad Brian Simms says he has been told that he may never know how his 26-year-old daughter died.
As exclusively revealed by the Daily Echo, rapist Lloyd Phillips, pictured below, the former owner of a shop that sold legal highs in the city, was arrested on suspicion of Lucy’s murder and remains on bail.
At the time of her death he was on bail awaiting a retrial for raping a 22-year-old woman who was unconscious during a ninehour sustained sex attack in a London hotel. CCTV images showed him pushing her into a London hotel slumped in a wheelchair, telling staff she was disabled and drunk.
Phillips, 48, has since been jailed for 11 years for a catalogue of rape and sex charges against the woman in December 2011.
Meanwhile a Hampshire police investigation into the death of model Lucy, whose body was found at her home in Vinery Road, Shirley, on the afternoon of June 4, continues.
Detectives, who have appealed for other women who have been a victim of Phillips to come forward, say they are piecing together Lucy’s final movements in a bid to get answers for her family.
Mr Simms,pictured below, said: “Unfortunately, it seems we will never know how she died.
“I’m told police have been able to limit her time of death to an eight-hour window, which isn’t enough to take anything forward.
“I worry because, as it stands, we haven’t had any closure from this horrible, horrible situation.
“I just don’t know where the investigation goes from here or if we will be able to get justice for Lucy.”
Despite his jailing, Phillips’ Twitter profile is still active and shows a picture of him and Lucy – something which Mr Simms, who lives in Colchester, is campaigning to have removed.
Superintendent Stuart Murray, leading the inquiry into Lucy’s death, said: “The investigation has been a complex one and at this stage Lucy’s death remains unexplained.
Police outside Lucy's home after her body was found
“The inquiry is ongoing and we are continuing to work to try to piece together Lucy’s movements and the circumstances leading up to her death.
“Lloyd Phillips was arrested on June 4 in connection with Lucy’s death, and although he is now in prison for rape, he is still on bail in relation to Operation Resolve.
“Like any family that has lost a loved one in these circumstances, we know that Lucy’s family wants answers. We will continue to do all we can to get these answers for them.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Operation Resolve team at Hampshire police on 101.
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