Wife found husband dead two days after chainsaw accident, inquest told
Amy Parry had reported 54-year-old Ed Parry missing when she could find no sign of him at their home in Seasalter, near Whitstable in Kent, on April 21.
Officers came and searched the address three times but it was not until nearly 48 hours later that Mrs Parry found her husband's body after being guided by the family dog.
An inquest heard that he had been carrying out gardening work using a chainsaw when he suffered a catastrophic wound to his left wrist.
Sarah Clarke, the area coroner for Kent and Medway, concluded his death had been accidental.
The hearing in Maidstone was told Mrs Parry had taken their eldest son to Ashford while Mr Parry took the younger one to Canterbury earlier that day.
Keys and wallet found in house
However, she became worried when she returned home to find his keys and wallet in the house along with their son, but no sign of him.
After four hours of searching and calling her husband of 17 years, she contacted the police. Despite extensive searches of their house over the next two days, it was not until the dog indicated where to look that she found Mr Parry's body stuck between the shed and the fence.
Summarising her findings, Ms Clarke said: 'At around 4.30pm, Amy returned home and couldn't find Ed. Their youngest son was upstairs. Amy was surprised that the youngest son was at home on his own.
'Ed's car and work van were in the driveway and his keys and wallet were inside the house.'
She said the chainsaw found at the scene had 'bloodstaining' on it. Recording a verdict of accidental death, she added: 'I have no evidence that this was an intentional act. I have good evidence that [gardening] was a normal activity for Ed.'
A police investigation confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances or third-party involvement in his death.
Police 'failures'
Speaking after the hearing, Mrs Parry raised concerns about Kent Police's failure to find her husband sooner.
'It should have been taken more seriously from the get-go,' she told KentOnline. 'I made it very, very clear from the outset that this wasn't like Ed at all. We got an apology but it wasn't that great, really.
'They searched next door. If they'd just looked over the fence, they would have seen him. There were a lot of things that were missed. But they've told me that they've put better measures in place.'
Rob Marsh, Kent Police's chief superintendent, said: 'Edward Parry was reported missing from Whitstable on Monday April 21 2025 and inquiries to find him were carried out, including physical searches of the area as well as CCTV and financial checks. His body was sadly found on April 23.
'Following concerns raised by his family, a comprehensive review into the search for Mr Parry was undertaken. The findings established that officers were professional, helpful, and provided regular updates to the family throughout.
'However, it was found the extent of the initial search at this property could have been broader and further learning has been identified. As a result, changes have been made to missing person searches, including additional supervision. The findings of the review have been shared with Mr Parry's family.
'The force has also apologised and its thoughts remain with them following their loss.'
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