 The discovery of Williams's body overlapped with the investigation into the disappearance, and later murder, of Milly Dowler from Surrey, who vanished on 21 March 2002.Robert Lesarian Howard, a convicted sex offender who had known Williams since 1999, was arrested on 23 March 2002, eight days after her body was found.At his trial at Maidstone Crown Court in October 2003, Howard was found guilty of raping and murdering Williams, and was sentenced to life imprisonment.