Chapter 33: The Cornish Echo
Saturday Midday
Sunken Wreck Remains Likely Those of Local Woman
By Colin Kernow
Cornish Echo Staff Writer
PORTWENN – A small sailboat found on the ocean floor just outside the harbour contains what are believed to be the remains of a local woman missing for just over a year.
The boat was found Saturday as police divers inspected the hull of the Moon Ray, a yacht that foundered on the reefs during a storm Friday night. The boat was tentatively identified as belonging to Rachel Wenn, who was reported missing after going out in her boat a year ago last July.
Divers have succeeded in raising the boat and recovering the skeletal remains found on board. The remains have been sent to the coroner in Trurofor examination.
The boat's hull has damage that may have been deliberately inflicted, according to police spokesman P.C. Joseph Penhale.
"Funny that this is all just like what happens in the movie, sorta. Except for the bits that aren't," Penhale said, apparently referring to a remake of the classic Hitchcock film Rebecca currently being shot in and around Portwenn.
An inquest into the finding of the boat and the remains is expected to be convened Monday.
Wenn was married to local landowner Michael Wenn. She is believed to be the only casualty of a fierce Atlantic storm that brought high winds and tides and caused extensive damage to trees and houses in the village last year. Although reputed to be an expert sailor, Wenn had taken out her boat despite small craft warnings issued by the Coast Guard ahead of the storm.
According to the police report made at the time, Portwenn Harbourmaster Colin Teague was the only witness to Wenn boarding her sailboat No Regrets apparently alone and sailing out of the harbour. A group of birdwatchers on the South West Coast Path later spotted the sailboat along the coast to the west of the harbour, two miles from where it was found Friday.
Wenn's husband recently remarried although his first wife had not been officially declared deceased. On hearing the news that her remains might have been found, Michael Wenn said "I suppose the fishes would have eaten her all up by now." He declined to elaborate and refused further comment.
Police said dental records will be used to confirm the deceased's identity.
The boat that was raised is a 16-foot Bermuda sloop. Speaking on condition of anonymity, several local sources have already confirmed they recognized it as the one belonging to Rachel Wenn.
The discovery of the boat occurred after a dramatic rescue of four people who were aboard the Moon Ray during the Friday storm. The same night saw a masked ball fundraiser in the village centre disrupted by punch allegedly adulterated by someone in attendance. (See related story).
Martin clicked on the link and saw the headline:
Arrest Made In Charity Ball 'Poisoning'
By Colin Kernow
Cornish Echo Staff Writer
PORTWENN – A local herbalist has been arrested for allegedly adulterating the punch at a masked ball fundraiser in an apparent bizarre attempt to test her formula for a "love potion."
Sandra Elowen Mylow, 40, of Truro, was charged with multiple counts of first degree attempted poisoning for allegedly pouring an undetermined quantity of a psychoactive drug into the crystal punch bowl at the ball.
"It wasn't any recognized controlled substance, just some herbal concoction of her own making," said local GP Martin Ellingham. "However, it was highly irresponsible behaviour on her part.
No one was seriously harmed, according to Ellingham, who added that there were "no permanent effects as far as I was able to ascertain."
Ellingham confirmed that Mylow had an office for her herbalist practice in Portwenn for a while and that she is the sister of former village police constable Mark Mylow.
Mylow has been released on bail pending future court appearances. In a brief interview as she left the courthouse in Truro, she said she is currently acting as her own attorney and is planning to plead guilty to all charges.
"I expect to receive a light sentence, maybe community service," she said. "In the meantime, I'm working hard refining my formula and looking to patent it and market it to the public. Any idea when Max Clifford gets out of prison?"
P.C. Joseph Penhale, the current village police officer, who had attended the ball whilst off duty, said Mylow admitted her "potion" was a mix of an Italian cocktail and other ingredients intended to mimic a magic elixir from Cornish legend.
Penhale said she seemed to be primarily motivated by a desire to gain the attention of Ellingham, with whom she had previously clashed over differing medical practices.
"I don't condone adulterating a perfectly good sparkling punch," the constable added, "but it did liven up the party quite a bit."
Village resident Bert Large, who was also present at the ball, said he admired Mylow for coming up with what could be a lucrative marketable formula for a legal recreational drug.
"No harm done at the festivities," Large said. "It was like A Midsummer Night's Dream come true for our little village. Come to think of it, that could be our next production for The Portwenn Players. I could play Bottom. Can't you just picture me with a donkey head on?"
The office phone rang and Martin went to answer it. "Ellingham!"
"Chris Parsons here. I have some good news for you, Mart. Vanessa Stephenson, you remember her – the instructor for the people skills two-week course you had to take. Turns out you were correct about her diagnosis. She's so grateful you caught it in time she's giving you an automatic pass on the course."
"Hm. Well, I know of one person from that course who could benefit from learning some people skills."
Chris chuckled. "You don't mean yourself, by any chance?"
"What? No! It's that idiot Mylow woman, the herbalist who attempted to poison everyone at the ball!"
"Oh her. Right, I read all about that. Well, she's not so lucky. Everyone else in the course will have to take it when it's offered again next month. Dr. Stephenson is out of commission for a while so another psychologist, name of Dr. Anthony Oakwood, will be teaching it."
To be continued…
Note: Max Clifford is a notorious celebrity publicist in the U.K. who is currently serving time for being a sexual predator. One of his clients was MC's ex-wife Lucy Aston.