Man held over heiress death riddle (From Bucks Free Press)

Man held over heiress death riddle

5:31am Wednesday 11th July 2012 in National News © Press Association 2013

Police investigating the mysterious death of one of Britain's richest women have arrested a man reported to be her widower.

It is thought that Hans Kristian Rausing, the heir to the Tetra Pak drinks carton empire, is being held after the body of his spouse Eva was found at the couple's London home in Cadogan Place, Chelsea.

The man believed to be Mr Rausing, who stands to inherit a billion-pound fortune from his father's business, was taken into custody at a south London police station but has since been moved to a "medical facility" where he is receiving medical attention, police said.

Scotland Yard would not confirm the name of the suspect, but said a 49-year-old man was arrested in south London on Monday morning on suspicion of possession of drugs.

Then, later that afternoon, officers conducted a search at an address in Cadogan Place where they discovered Mrs Rausing's body. The man was then further arrested in connection with the mother of four's death. His bail has been suspended while he receives ongoing medical treatment, the force said.

Police are treating the death of Mrs Rausing as "unexplained" and a post mortem held on Tuesday failed to establish a formal cause of death. Investigators said they are awaiting the results of further tests in the hope they will shed some light on the death riddle.

Grieving relatives of the married couple, whose past drug problems have been widely reported, have revealed their sorrow over the death.

A statement from the family of Mrs Rausing, whose maiden name was Kemeny, said: "Tom and Nancy Kemeny along with all of their family are deeply saddened by the death of their beloved daughter, Eva Louise Rausing. Eva was a devoted wife for 20 years and mother of four much-loved and wonderful children.

"During her short lifetime she made a huge philanthropic impact, supporting a large number of charitable causes, not only financially, but using her own personal experiences. She bravely fought her health issues for many years. The family is devastated at her death and asks to be given privacy at this difficult time."

The Rausing family said they were "deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death of their daughter-in-law" and also asked for their privacy to be respected. Mr Rausing stands to inherit the £5.4 billion business enterprise built by his Swedish father, also named Hans.