'Devastated' family of missing teen Cole Cooper left with 'unanswered questions' after police recover body
9 June 2025, 13:09
The family of a teenager who went missing more than a month ago have said they are "living a nightmare" after a body was found.
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Cole Cooper, 19, was reported missing on May 9 having last been seen in Longcroft near Falkirk.
The schoolboy was last spotted by a school friend on Wednesday 7 May, in the village in central Scotland, with a body recovered at around 4.15pm on Friday June 6.
The remains were found in a wooded area near Kilsyth Road in Banknock, Falkirk, following a major search, police have said.
However, formal identification of the body is yet to take place, with the family of Mr Cooper saying they have "unanswered questions" after being informed of the discovery.
In a statement posted on the Missing Person Cole Cooper group on social media, his family said they were "completely broken" by the news.
They said: "With shattered hearts, we share the devastating news that our beloved Cole, who was missing, has been found - but not in the way we hoped or prayed for.
"Our worst fears have become reality, and we are now living a nightmare we can't wake up from."
The statement added: "Cole, you were our world - and now our world will never be the same.
"Your life was only just beginning. The world didn't get to know the light you carried, but we did - and we will carry it with us, always."
The family said they have been left with unanswered questions and thanked all those who have supported them.
Mr Cooper was last seen by family on either May 2 or 3 and he appeared on CCTV around 6am on May 4 in Longcroft, where he tried but failed to access his father's home.
He was last seen at about 8.45pm on May 7 on the A803 near Cumbernauld Road in Longcroft, when he asked a school friend for a lift, which he was not given.
His family reported him missing on May 9, sparking a major investigation involving helicopters, divers, digital specialists and hundreds of officers.
More than 400 people were spoken to during door-to-door inquiries, while over 2,000 hours of CCTV were reviewed.
Police said inquiries are continuing to establish the full circumstances.
