Body of Valentine's Day shooting suspect formally identified after being pulled from river

11 March 2025, 15:04

A man whose body was pulled from a river after his wife was shot dead outside a pub in Kent on Valentine's Day has been formally identified.

Edward Smith, who also used the surname Stockings, was found in the River Thames in Rainham, Essex, on March 7, Kent Police said.

His car was found abandoned near the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at Dartford in the hours after the shooting, and investigators believe he entered the water there.

Lisa Smith, also 43, from Slough, was shot near The Three Horseshoes pub where she had met a friend on February 14.

A full inquest into her death will be held in September.

Read more: Police recover body from River Thames in search for suspect in Valentine's Day pub shooting

Read more: 'She's dead. I can't live': Haunting final words of Valentines Day shooting suspect revealed

Following the incident last month, a sea of tributes were left at the scene, with balloons bearing the words "wonderful mum".

Michelle Thomas, who runs The Three Horseshoes in Knockholt, Kent, previously revealed she was preparing for the Valentine's dinner service when she heard two loud bangs that she initially thought were fireworks.

Around 30 people were at the pub for dinner, while 20 more were in the bar as the incident unfolded just after 7pm, she said.

"People were only just starting to sit down, it was early on in the evening," she told Sky.

She also described how an off-duty firearms officer intervened to get the situation under control.

It is understood that neither the suspect nor victim were from Kent but had local connections to the area.