Cole Cooper's mum 'left in the dark' more than a week after teen's body found

The mother of a teenager who went missing for four weeks before his body was found says the family have been “left in the dark” by police.

Wendy Stewart, Cole Cooper’s mum, told STV News there has been a “lack of consistency and transparency” around the investigation.

Cole, who went missing in early May, was found dead in a wooded area of Banknock on June 6.

Despite a post-mortem, the cause of death remains unexplained, leaving his family desperate for answers as enquiries continue.

“I’ve been grieving for the last six weeks and not managed to take a lot in, for obvious reasons,” Wendy told STV News.

“I’ll never forget the day he was found. We received a call and were told that a body was being moved from a wooded area.

“They had found a wallet with a few cards and Cole’s provisional license. Neither I nor my partner can remember anything about a phone being found.

“The police are now adamant that they told me Cole had a phone on him, but neither of us can remember being told that.

“I feel as though detectives are desperate to shut this case, leaving me without answers.

“I don’t feel as though police are clear and consistent with us.”

Cole attended a house party in the Shanghai area of Denny in the early hours of May 4 before making his way to his dad’s home on Mayfield Drive in Longcroft.

CCTV footage shared with STV News shows Cole arriving at the property three minutes before leaving.

A second video shows the teen running along a road in the Longcroft area, minutes from Wendy’s home at around 6am.

Cole’s family believe that May 4 was the last concrete sighting of the missing teenager.

However, Police Scotland stated the 19-year-old was last seen on the A803 Glasgow/Kilsyth Road at the junction with Cumbernauld Road in Banknock at around 7.30pm on May 7.

Helicopters and dive units join search for teen missing for three weeks. STV News

Officers believe Cole asked for a lift from a school friend. Police say the friend did not give Cole a lift, but expressed no concerns about his welfare.

Wendy has always disputed the May 7 sighting, claiming the family was shown footage of the alleged interaction. She said the video was too blurry to identify the individual and the man did not have the same mannerisms as Cole.

On June 6, Cole’s body was found in a wooded area of Banknock, with police treating his death as “unexplained”.

The family say they have been told that Cole was found wearing the clothes he had on in the May 4 CCTV footage, not the clothes worn during the alleged sighting on May 7.

They also say they were told that detectives have been unable to ascertain how Cole died, despite a post-mortem being carried out.

Wendy has not been told by officers if they have managed to trace Cole’s movements from the alleged last sighting on May 7 to the wooded area where his body was found.

“I absolutely feel as though we as a family have been left in the dark,” she said.

“I don’t understand how Cole has gone from one area to another without anyone seeing him. I feel like no one is going to give me answers.

“I’m his mother, I’m not going to move on until I know how my son got from A to B.”

Although she has gone through weeks of “hell”, Wendy is determined to fight for answers.

She added: “I’ve cried all my tears, I’ve had countless sleepless nights, I’ve done my grieving. Now I’m in my fighting stage. I’ve taken part in searches, I’ve done everything to find my son.

“I want answers. I need someone to come forward with information no matter what it is.

“Now is the time to come forward. I will not stop until I find out what happened to my son.”

Police Scotland say “significant enquiries” are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding Cole’s death.

However, there is currently no evidence to suggest that a third party is involved.

Detective chief inspector Bob Williamson said: “We are carrying out significant enquiries into Cole’s death, however, at this time there is no evidence of any third-party involvement.

“It is vital that we establish the full circumstances leading up to Cole’s death so that we can provide some answers to his family.

“The thoughts of everyone involved in this investigation are very much with his family and friends and officers will continue to offer them support and keep them informed as our enquiries progress.”