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Police Finds Body In Search Of Missing 15-Year-Old Kathleen Harkin

By Angelica N. Sumter
Published on: 12:59 PST, Oct 10, 2016

The Tayside Police Division say that a body was recovered from River Tay near St. Madoes, Glencarse in Perthshire while in search for missing 15-year-old Kathleen Harkin of Murthly.

According to the Mirror, Harkin – who attends Perth Grammar School – went out with her friends Saturday night, October 8, but when her parents arrived to pick her up, she was nowhere to be found.

After the teen was reported missing, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, a dive and marine unit, and a police helicopter went in search of the young girl, who was last seen near a river bank, wearing “ripped, black jeans, a black bomber style jacket, and blue Nike trainers.”

Sunday morning, a member of the public discovered the missing teen’s cellphone near the area where she was last seen.

Relatives soon created a Get Home Kathleen Facebook page for the missing teen, which garnered over 2,000 likes, in a desperate plea for the teen’s safe return.

However, fears grew when the search team recovered a body from the river Monday afternoon where Harkin was last seen.

According to the Daily Mail, the body has yet to be identified.

Before a body was found while searching for the missing teen, chief inspector Maggie Pettigrew stated: “We are increasingly worried for the welfare of Kathleen and will continue to focus all our attention overnight on finding Kathleen.”

“We are using specialist resources as it is a difficult and dangerous area to search. I would ask that residents in the North Muirton area please check any outbuildings or sheds they may have.”

The chief went on to say that “we are aware of speculation on social media and want to stress that this is very much an ongoing missing person enquiry and any speculation is unhelpful and could cause added stress for Kathleen’s family.”

https://twitter.com/GrahamRMann/status/785589931477340160

However, the Tayside Police District has confirmed “that a body has been recovered from the River Tay near St. Madoes, Glencarse, Perthshire this afternoon Monday, October 10. Enquiries to establish the identity of the female are ongoing.”

“The family of missing 15-year-old Kathleen Harkin has been informed.”

Although the body has yet to be identified, many are fearing the worst, giving their condolences to the teen’s family and stating that “another person is taken too soon.”

Gemma Cairns on Facebook became frustrated after learning the public is already leaving “rest in peace” comments on the teen’s Facebook page when the body recovered from the river has yet to be identified.

Cairns wrote, “It’s sad for whoever it is and the family of whoever has been found, but they haven’t confirmed it is Kathleen so why is it printed to make out like it is?”

“I don’t know why I follow this page, every article makes me so, so angry. It’s ridiculous. You guys always stoop to unbelievable, horrible levels for what? Likes and views? Sad.”

In a Facebook post, Norma MccCabe wrote, “The law needs to get to grips with its prisons why any disgusting being that takes a human life for pleasure should have heated clean room food three times a day and human rights beggars belief yes have said the same we are the only species that kill for the sake of it and in utterly disgusting ways. RIP to this young girl for the world should have been her oyster.”

Meanwhile, counseling will be available at Perth Grammar School for the missing teen’s friends, who were the last to see her before she disappeared without a trace.

If anyone has information regarding the disappearance of Harkin, you are urged to contact the Tayside Police District.

An investigation is underway.

[Featured Image by Get Kathleen Home/Facebook]

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