When Alice Gross vanished in August, her devastated parents clung to the hope that their 14-year-old daughter would return home.

Tragically her body was discovered last week in an underwater grave in the river Brent, just three miles from her home in West London. The body of Arnis Zalkalns- the prime suspect- was later found hanged in an isolated area of west London's Boston Manor Park.

BODY FOUND IN SEARCH FOR ALICE GROSS SUSPECT ARNIS ZALKALNS

In a heartbreaking statement, Alice's distraught parents Jose Gross, 60, and Rosalind Hodgkiss, 50, told how "every day brought new agony" when their daughter failed to return, saying: "It is difficult to comprehend that our sweet and beautiful daughter was the victim of a terrible crime."

For Karen Downes, 49, news of her murder brought back painful memories.

Tragically, like Alice, her daughter Charlene was just 14 when she went missing in November 2003 from her home in Blackpool.

ALICE GROSS POST-MORTEM PROVES 'INCONCLUSIVE'

In the 11 years since her disappearance, no trace of Charlene has been found.

Two men were charged with murder in 2007 but walked free. Over a decade on, Karen is still no closer to finding out what happened to her daughter.

Karen says: "Hearing about Alice going missing made me feel physically sick. It's heard knowing another young girl's life has been cut short. My heart goes out to her family."

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