A Frenchman was in custody tonight suspected of killing his British expat neighbour and throwing his body down a well in rural Normandy . David King , 70 , and originally from east London , had not been seen for six months in the picturesque hamlet of Pierres , in the Calvados department , south west of Caen . He retired there from his job as an engineer in Britain some 15 years ago . On October 27 , he went to tea with friends living close to his home , and is thought to have got into an argument with one , aged 28 . Disappeared : David King , 70 , had been missing for six months from his home in Normandy , France . Carole Etienne , the Caen prosecutor , said : 'He admitted there was an argument , and to putting the body in the well . In the coming hours we will try to learn more about what caused the death . ' Ms Etienne added : 'We 're no longer following a missing person 's enquiry , but one for manslaughter because of the presence of unusual clues . 'Inconsistent explanations ' and DNA analysis all led investigators to 'suspect someone in connection with a killing ' , said Ms Etienne . 'He has not yet explained the circumstances of the death , ' said Ms Etienne . I have the before , I have the after , I do n't have the in-between . ' Mr King had been living in France for 15 years . Ms Etienne said the suspect had not yet been identified publicly . On Wednesday police sniffer dogs were taken to Mr King 's hamlet , and found his corpse at the bottom of the 12ft well . Mr King lived alone , but regularly kept in touch with family , including grandchildren in the UK , said another source close to the investigation . It is believed he has in son in Brighton , East Sussex and a daughter in Australia , who French police initially thought he was visiting after his disappearance last year . He was known to have a heart condition , and there were concerns that he had travelled away without his medication . Other theories included suicide , but his family did not believe it , as they had been looking forward to seeing him at Christmas . It was also suggested that he might have gone to see his daughter in Australia , but this was ruled out too because a passport was found at his home . International organisations including the Lucie Blackman Trust were involved in trying to solve the mystery , posting pictures of Mr King online . His disappearance 'caused a great deal of fear ' among British expats living in the area - one which is very beautiful but also extremely isolated , said the source . In February , Mr King 's car , a Renault Scenic was found parked in Vire , a nearby town , but there was no sign of any body . A friend told The Independent : 'We had grown used to the idea that we would never see Dave again but this is the worst possible outcome to the mystery . ' Mr King was a keen gardener who chose to settle in an area popular with older British expatriates . Autopsy results are expected to be announced on Friday . Discovery : Police had thought he was in his car ( pictured ) , but his body has now been found down a well . Mr King 's 28-year-old neighbour is now in custody being questioned about his death .
Mr King 's had not been seen since he went to tea with friends in October . The 70-year-old is thought to have got into an argument before his death . Prosecutor said a neighbour admitted to putting David King body in the well . But the man has yet to explain 'the circumstances of the death '