THE body of a woman has been found in a two-week long search for an extremely vulnerable Irish woman who went missing in Liverpool before Christmas.
Maureen Umosoh, 48, was reported missing from Beechwood Specialist Care Centre on Beechwood Road, Cressington on Wednesday, December 16.
Ms Umosoh, who also goes by the surname Moran, was being treated at the secure care home for a brain injury, when she is believed to have gone missing during a fire alarm.
She was last seen at Garston docks at 7.20pm.
Merseyside Police confirmed that a body had been found at Garston docks on Wednesday, December 30.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Kameen said that Ms Umosoh required regular medication, without which she was at risk of seizure.
Kelly Gray, a close friend of Ms Umosoh, told the Liverpool Echo that she had been failed by the system.
“We are devastated,” she said. “We can’t believe Maureen was in a place of safety and this has happened.
“The home said she vanished in the space of 10 minutes, but she walks with severe gait - it would have taken a long time for Maureen to get anywhere. Why was it not noticed she was gone?”
She added that Ms Umosoh was a lovely person, but that her brain injury had changed everything.
“She wouldn’t have been able to get on the bus, she didn’t know the value of money,” she said.
“The home has let her down and need to be held accountable.”
Merseyside Police had dedicated 30 officers to a land and water search for Ms Umosoh before the body of a woman was found.
The cause of death is being withheld pending the results of further toxicology and histology tests, and formal identification has not yet taken place.
A spokesperson for Beechwood Specialist Care Centre said: "We are all deeply saddened by this news. Whilst a formal identification has not yet been made, our thoughts are with Maureen's family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.
"We are working closely with all of the relevant authorities to carry out a thorough investigation."
