The family of Manic Street Preachers guitarist / lyricist Richey James Edwards were granted a court order for him to be declared “presumed dead”, 13 years after he went missing.
Edwards disappeared on February 1, 1995 from a London hotel where he had been staying. His abandoned car was discovered a few days later near the Severn Bridge. Despite a series of alleged sightings over the years, it is widely believed that Edwards committed suicide. He was 27.
Under English and Welsh law, a missing person can be declared presumed dead after seven years, however the guitarist’s parents, Graham and Sherry Edwards, have taken nearly twice that length of time to do so. The family’s lawyer, David Ellis, told Welsh news site www.walesonline.co.uk that their decision is “not the same as an acceptance that he is dead," but an “acceptance that his affairs have got to be sorted"
The Manic Street Preachers have continued to pay Edwards a share of the band’s royalties since his disappearance, and with the court order, his family will be able to gain control over his estate which is estimated to be worth just under £380,000 after death duties. A spokesperson for the remaining members of the band – frontman/guitarist James Dean Bradfield, bassist Nicky Wire and drummer Sean Moore – said the move was “hugely emotional” and added that “it is no longer a realistic hope [that Edwards is still alive] and if this offers some kind of closure then the band will be content with that.”
Manic Street Preachers are currently working on their ninth studio album, Journal For Plague Lovers, with producer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Iggy And The Stooges Scott Weiland). The record, which will be released next year, will entirely feature lyrics written by Edwards before his disappearance.
Just goes to show how badly they're struggl...
