Two previously undisclosed storage units in Los Angeles containing belongings linked to Meghan Markle and memorabilia from her father’s Hollywood career are expected to be searched by the FBI, it has been claimed.
The locations were reportedly given to investigators by Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, who is said to have been interviewed by the bureau for two hours.
Markle Jr, 60, said his father had told him around 2011 that he had rented the units for about 15 years. One was allegedly filled with Meghan’s former furniture, while the other contained books, photographs, personal possessions and items from her time at Northwestern University in Illinois.
“I dread to think what the FBI might find, especially given what has already been found in the Philippines and Mexico,” Markle Jr said.
The potential search comes amid investigations in Mexico and the Philippines into alleged child sexual abuse material connected to Thomas Markle Sr. He has strongly denied the allegations, describing them as “sick lies” and suggesting that he had been “set up”.
Investigations in the Philippines and Mexico
Mexican authorities have raided a storage unit in Rosarito previously rented by Markle Sr after material alleged to include indecent images of children was discovered there.
In the Philippines, police are examining digital devices allegedly found among four storage boxes at Markle Sr’s flat in Cebu. Officers were granted a warrant to search the material and spent the weekend examining nine mobile phones, three SD cards, five hard drives, a camera and another non-digital item.
Major General Wilson Asueta of the Philippine National Police said investigators had found files consisting of child sexual exploitative and abuse material. He said the material included videos involving male and female minors, as well as explicit content involving adults.
“This will be subjected further to analysis,” he said. “We are conducting ongoing digital forensics analysis and our field investigators are also doing their best conducting investigations… to validate the information that was provided to us. The investigation is going in the right direction.”
General Asueta said none of the children in the videos appeared to be from the Philippines, although they appeared to be Asian or Caucasian.
Philippine police are reportedly close to bringing formal charges against Markle Sr. The material was handed to officers by Markle Jr, who lives in the Philippines and claims to have found hundreds, if not thousands, of images and videos.
Markle Sr has admitted paying for sex in the Philippines but insists that he only paid adult prostitutes. He denies any involvement in the alleged abuse.
Thomas Markle Sr’s health
Markle Sr, 82, moved from Mexico to the Philippines in January last year before relocating to the United States in May after the amputation of his lower leg. He has since reportedly moved into a Florida care home specialising in dementia care, close to his daughter Samantha.
Experts believe that advanced dementia could make extradition unlikely.
Thomas Markle Jr has also said that his father’s Los Angeles units contained boxes of memorabilia from his career as a Hollywood lighting director, alongside Meghan’s former possessions.
The FBI is also thought to be examining allegations contained in a letter written by Markle Sr’s late former wife, Roslyn Loveless, in January 2019. Scotland Yard has referred itself to the independent police watchdog over its handling of the letter, after a copy was shared with Meghan and Prince Harry.
The letter reportedly alleged that Markle Sr had moved to Asia because “12-year-olds are legal there”. Police have reportedly advised Meghan not to comment publicly on the claims. She has previously said she was “deeply distressed” by the allegations.
