Corrie's dad vows to end '˜lies and deceit' over missing airman

Martin McKeague, 48, told how “the truth about everything that’s happened here will all come out” once the Fife airman is found.

He didn’t reveal further details of the alleged deceit as he pledged to do everything in his power to bring Corrie home.

In a statement released on behalf of him and his partner Trisha, Martin said: “You know something, it’s true that they say: You find out a lot about people when tragedy strikes.

“And over the past nine horrific months, Trisha and I have seen the very best in people.

“We’ve also seen the absolute worst in some people – the types of behaviour that would have been unimaginable to me in any other circumstances.

“But Trisha and I both know that when this is all over, when all of our combined efforts have finally brought Corrie home, the truth about everything that’s happened here will all come out.

“I will not let my son’s name continue to be tied to the lies and deceit that have accompanied this investigation in the mainstream and social media once this has come to an end.”

Corrie, 23, has been missing since September of last year when he was last seen following a night out with friends in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

It is believed his body is buried at a landfill site after he was transported nearly 30 miles away in a rubbish truck.

Martin, who is living in a camper van close to the tip in Milton, Cambridgeshire, described the specialist search teams trawling through rubbish to find Corrie as “heroes”.

He said: “There are simply too many names to thank, and too many hands to shake.

“I just don’t have the words to express our gratitude, only mine and Trisha’s lifelong appreciation for what those around us have done along the way.

“We’re completely humbled by it.

“And now we’re only waiting for that moment to arrive, even as 5,350 tons of rubbish have now been dug and hoisted and raked through at the land fill site over the last seventeen weeks.

“The Jones Brothers excavation team continues their tireless efforts alongside the Suffolk and Norfolk police volunteers – one of whom has this week returned for his seventh week-long tour of duty.

“Heroes, that’s what they are - examples of the absolute best in people.”

Detectives moved the search to the 920 square metre landfill site in March and search teams have so far trawled through more than 4,500 tonnes of waste.

Aerial pictures taken of the site on Thursday show that police have dug an eight metre deep pit – just days after Corrie’s mother Nicola said “he could literally be found tomorrow.”

Martin, who works as a bin man, continued: “Even as last week’s baking, broiling heat has turned into gale force rains that have altered the landfill’s landscape into a slick and dangerous toil.

“The ground is now an ankle-deep muddy trudge, where even the machinery is struggling to cope.

“Yet the teams continue to meet their 80 to 90 tons per day pace of moving heaven and earth, just as they met that higher figure on Wednesday during my 17 visit to the site.

“It’s the sheer commitment of these people regardless of the extreme weather conditions that has made it possible to carve out this stadium-sized hole over the last four and a half months with surgical precision and attention detail.

“Do we think they are getting close to finding my son?

“The type of rubbish that’s being found where they have now focused their efforts suggests they are.

“But I have no crystal ball. Only hope.”

He added: “Everyone involved has done everything in their power to try and find my son.

“And anyone who questions that has simply not stood where Trisha and I have stood, spoken with the people who are making this incredible effort and seen first-hand what we have seen.

“We owe them, and always will.”

Earlier this month, Corrie’s girlfriend April Oliver gave birth to his baby daughter.

The newborn’s name has not yet been released but April has shared numerous pictures of the tot on social media.

Corrie is originally from Fife and moved down to Suffolk to live at RAF Honington where he worked as a gunner and team medic in the air force.

Anyone with information about his disappearance is asked to call the incident room at Suffolk Police on 01473 782019.