A young couple who were found dead in a secluded area of woodland were buried together, an inquest has heard. Charlie Eccleston, 19, and Zaiga Gravenieks, 20, were found by a police dog in Shenley, England, on the morning of November 5, 2017.
The pair, who had not been seen since going missing on Halloween, were tracked to the area using the last known location of Zaiga’s mobile phone. An inquest into their death heard how Zaiga’s arm had been found cradled around Charlie’s shoulder.
According to the Mirror, “Towards eternity” and “4 Ever” had been spray painted on a heart symbol near to where the bodies were found. It is believed that a taxi had dropped them off near the woodland.
A post-mortem examination found they died from asphyxia. In a statement read to the senior Hertfordshire coroner Geoffrey Sullivan, Charlie’s mother Jo said: “They lived together, died together and at their request were buried together.”
The mum from Borehamwood told how Charlie had struggled with his mental health since the age of 12. She said he had shown signs of psychosis and experienced voices telling him to kill himself.
He was a talented musician who sang and played guitars in a metal band called Desert Smoker.
Ms Eccleston said: “Although he had no love for himself he adored Zaige. Zaige was a talented artist. She dreamt of being a tattoo artist.
"She was stunning beautiful. You could always see her love for Charlie.”
Zaiga's mum Ausma told the court that her daughter had previously been diagnosed with anorexia and Asperger’s and was studying music but had become too unwell to continue.
She said: “She and Charlie were deeply in love.”
Evidence from Professor Hilary McCallion, who examined the way the couple were treated by mental health professionals, is due to be heard tomorrow. The inquest continues and is expected to last three days.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .
