Julie Stephen is heartbroken and baffled after her husband’s body was found in a locked toilet cubicle at Edinburgh City Chambers – six days after he went missing.
The 47-year-old widow had been chatting with her 38-year-old partner Sean on the phone as he went into the local authority’s Royal Mile buildings on July 1.
Sean had complained of feeling unwell and said he was going to get a taxi, but Julie was unable to reach him later on and reported him missing.
In a TikTok LIVE, Julie expressed her shock and sadness, saying, “There’s CCTV footage of him on the phone to me walking up the Royal Mile and into the council building.”
A Week of Searching Ends in Tragedy
Julie and her family had been searching for Sean everywhere, putting up flyers in shops and scouring the area, but they never expected him to be in a locked building just two minutes away.
She added, “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.”
The couple had been married since 2019, and Julie knew something was wrong when Sean wasn’t answering his phone, prompting her to call 999 that evening.
Unanswered Questions Haunt the Widow
Julie is now left with many unanswered questions, including whether her husband could have been saved if he had been found earlier.
She posted a picture of Sean online with the caption, “Shame on Edinburgh district council,” and is demanding answers from the authorities.
The CID is still investigating the circumstances surrounding Sean’s death, but for Julie, the questions will haunt her for the rest of her life.