 Smith was apprehended after he contacted West Midlands Police saying that he wished to make a statement about Corcoran 's disappearance . At the time , however , her body had not been positively identified , and inquiries quickly established that some aspects of his account were false . The murder inquiry , named Operation Green , uncovered a large quantity of strong evidence incriminating Smith , but at first he denied responsibility . He maintained his innocence as his trial began in July 2001 , but later in the proceedings he changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment . The motive for his crimes was unclear , but police who arrested him believed that a " lack of permanent sexual relations " was a contributing factor . 
