Husband admits to asking son to dig up wife's remains

A man who murdered his pregnant wife 25 years ago has admitted to asking his son to dig up her remains. Debbie Griggs, who was 34 and four months pregnant, disappeared from their home in Kent on May 5, 1999. Her husband, Andrew Griggs, now 62, was convicted of her murder in 2019 but did not reveal where her body was hidden. Initially, Andrew tried to blame Debbie's disappearance on supposed post-natal depression. He claimed that she left him and their three young children, even though she was not affected by the condition. Evidence later showed that he had been having an affair and had expressed a desire for her death. In a recent court hearing at Canterbury Crown Court, Andrew confessed to making a request from prison for his son to dig up Debbie's body. He wanted his son to remove a sample of hair and send it to the police with a letter, pretending it was from Debbie, to convince them she was still alive. This effort occurred between late 2019 and late 2022. Debbie's body was finally discovered in 2022 in the garden of a home where Andrew had lived after moving from Kent. Police had previously found little evidence after her disappearance, except for blood in her abandoned car. Andrew is also facing another charge for obstructing a coroner. As he awaits sentencing for his latest admission, Andrew's sons initially believed in his innocence and even campaigned on social media to find their mother, not knowing she was dead. A coroner has stated that the cause of Debbie's death may never be determined due to the condition of her remains.