: What really happened? Claudia Lawrence was a chef at the University of York who vanished from the sleepy village of Hewarth, York, on the 18th of March, 2009. [46], In 2009 Halliwell was living in Swindon, Wiltshire, the location of the two murders he was convicted of. What Happened to Claudia Lawrence? Morbidology There was a theory that Claudia may have had some trouble with one of the married men, maybe threatened to tell someone's wife or maybe the wife found out? He said: If you know something that could help us find Claudia, or those involved in her disappearance and suspected murder, please come forward. It looks, from various other sources, that she may have spent the evening with one of her lovers, and an argument or killing jealous rage resulted in her unfortunate demise. This blog is dedicated to the late, best-selling authors, Reg Mckay, Ann Rule & my furbaby, Freddie Mercury. I want to go into some of the details of Claudia's disappearance and other factors surrounding the case. Read our, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}. Picture credit: It didn't help matters when the investigators kept saying that she had a ''secret life''. We know also that her mobile phone didnt leave the area before it left the phone network, he added This again is a reason I dont believe she fell victim to an attack by a stranger. Investigators believe that she got up early as she normally would for work and because her car was being repaired she had been walking to work the past few weeks. On August 24, 2021, police began searching a quarry in York. A See more Private Available on Amazon as paperback or audible. In my view, there are likely to be several people out there who either know or have strong suspicions as to what happened to Claudia. They were not her true friends. Please do the right thing, come forward and speak to me.. Absolutely brilliant article! He is released on police bail and eventually released without charge on November 17 2014. This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 22:18. [7] At this point Cooper became alarmed and contacted mutual acquaintances including George Forman, landlord of The Nag's Head, to obtain information concerning her possible whereabouts. The only lead in this respect is some unknown male DNA on a cigarette found in her car. You might have been burgled more times than is the norm if you lived in a predominately student area. I have much less to do now and am supposed to work from home at least until the end of the quarantine anyway, so reading all this stuff about mysterious disappearances and discussing it with my gf seems somewhat interesting to me, at least its definitely not just a waste of time as I consider it self-development to some extent. If you have any information that could assist the investigation, please contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 1, and pass details to the Force Control Room, quoting "Claudia Lawrence". If there was foul play, I guess the guilty one was someone she knew, perhaps also a Local just like her. Her father Peter spent years campaigning for the Guardianship (Missing Persons) Bill, also known as Claudias Law, which allows relatives to take control of their missing loved ones financial matters. Det Supt Dai Malyn said: It remains the case that we strongly suspect key and vital information is being withheld that could provide the breakthrough that we all want to see, not least Claudias heartbroken family. That Lawrence had left with a new lover or to take up a new job or merely to take a break. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Oh I agree with you. Claudia Elizabeth Lawrence (born 27 February 1974) is an English woman who was last seen and heard from on 18 March 2009. by clicking my picture & donating to my PayPal or sending a donation to my CashApp: caledonianKitty THANK YOU!! I hope you'll join me in this post and give me your opinion on what you think may have happened to her. Because of the newspaper articles and the rumours flying around, the arrests of the men and all the talk of older married men, a lot of the public lost sympathy and interest in the case and it went cold and now here we are 11 years later. The missing woman's family has vowed to keep searching with her mum Joan saying: "I realise the recent police team have worked very hard to try and get answers, and I know they feel people are still lying to them, but I cant allow Claudias name to be forgotten. [14][15] In early June 2009, a reconstruction of Lawrence's last known movements was featured in an appeal on BBC One's Crimewatch. Claudia Lawrence's disappearance sparked a long running and high profile missing person case by North Yorkshire Police. 1.1M views 3 years ago Claudia Lawrence went missing in York, 2009. But the young woman was never heard from again leaving officers desperately probing into her past, her relationships and her work life in an effort to find her. It is not too late.. One of the investigators/journalists was threatened (or told "to back off"). [23] On 24 March 2010, NYP began searching areas of Heslington in York, based on new information received "in the last few days". A licensed taxi driven by Halliwell pulled up beside her and she was offered a ride to her home. It was big news at the time and I know a lot of people were worried that they were in danger as well. In his 2017 book, Catching a Serial Killer: My hunt for murderer Christopher Halliwell, Stephen Fulcher, the senior investigating officer in the murder of Sian O'Callaghan, suggests there are similarities between the Lawrence and O'Callaghan cases. Mr Fox said some of the information received by the force appears extremely interesting and sparks a whole new line of investigation, and he urged anyone providing this information to get back in touch with as much detail as possible. She was employed as a chef at the University of York 's Goodricke College at the time of her disappearance. She also has a sister called Ali. Police believe Miss Lawrence who was last seen on March 18 2009 has been murdered, although no body has ever been discovered. Five theories about what happened to Claudia Lawrence - a decade on Harris stated that Lawrence had been a customer at his pub in the weeks before her disappearance and he had spoken to her, but stated that was his only connection with her. It is not too late to come forward, says Claudia Lawrence case Im pretty sure the police and the family know more than everyone else. They know we're her body is and what happened that night. April 24 - Detectives say that Miss Lawrence's disappearance is being treated as a suspected murder investigation. Claudia Lawrences mother appeals for help 13 years after disappearance, Claudia Lawrence: police find no new clues in lake search, Police search quarry near York for Claudia Lawrence remains, Claudia Lawrence: timeline of her disappearance, Claudia Lawrence: renewed call for information on woman missing since 2009, Father of missing chef Claudia Lawrence dies at 74, Claudia Lawrence case fits behaviour pattern of Christopher Halliwell. This is my pet case and I always fall into a rabbit hole every time I look back on this case. As with some recent cold case successes, the breakthrough has come from the public and we still have confidence that this will be the case.. North Yorkshire Police have conducted two investigations and questioned nine people in relation to Miss Lawrences disappearance and suspected murder but no charges have ever been brought. On the 12th anniversary of Claudias disappearance today (Thursday, 18 March), Mr Fox urged anyone with information to do the right thing and speak to him. This one isn't really much of a mystery anymore. Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . A year after her disappearance, her best friend Suzy Cooper appealed for help, saying: "We want it to end. Other theories have beenfloated, with one thatconvicted killer Christopher Halliwell was involved in her disappearance. Nobody really believed this was as innocent as just her disappearing and hearing from mutual acquaintances Im convinced harm has come to her by whom its hard to tell. [22] In October, NYP revealed they were looking for the driver of a "rusty white van" who was seen trying to talk to women on Lawrence's route to work in the days before she disappeared. The appeals to the public for information continued and the police were interested to talk to an owner of a Ford Focus which was caught on CCTV just outside Claudia's house but sadly nothing came of this but it is still of major interest to the police. Lawrence was normally a prolific user of her Samsung D900 mobile phone, so Cooper was surprised when she was unable to attract a response. The bed was made and there were unwashed dishes in the kitchen sink, suggesting she had eaten breakfast. The law was introduced after campaigning by Peter Lawrence with the support of MPs. From there they continued their search onto a wooded area not far from this site. She was reported to have engaged in a series of short-term relationships often conducted on a concurrent basis. In my view, there are likely to be several people out there who either know or have strong suspicions as to what happened to Claudia. Very much a tourist attraction. This possibility was eventually dismissed. Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. There is hope of an answer at last for Claudia Lawrence's loved ones The 35-year-old, who worked as a chef at the University of York, had spoken to. A fresh appeal for answers about missing Claudia Lawrence has been made on the eve of the anniversary of her disappearance. A 10,000 reward was offered for anyone who could come forward with any information. On 13 May 2014, a 59-year-old man was arrested by NYP on suspicion of Lawrence's murder. Detective Superintendent Wayne Fox, the new senior investigating officer on the case, said he believes several people know, or have suspicions about, what happened to the 35-year-old when she went missing in York in 2009. Claudia Lawrence was last seen near her home in Melrosegate, Heworth, York, on the evening of March 18, 2009. Claudia has always been very close with her family and had a happy childhood. March 19 - Five years on from Miss Lawrence's disappearance, officers discover at her home the fingerprints of people who have still not come forward to the investigation. DRAMATIC drone footage yesterday showed cops trawling a fish pond in the search for Claudia Lawrence - as a source insisted: "The answer lies local." Police were spending a third day scouring the flooded quarry and surrounding woodland in a bid to solve the 12-year-old mystery. The change in the law means families of missing loved ones will be able to take control of their financial affairs in their absence. I think other people do as well, but don't want to end up dead. I exclude the possibility of suicide simply because she had no reason for it. Peter Lawrence, who devoted himself to helping others with missing relatives, died after never knowing what happened to his daughter. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/everything-know-disappearance-claudia-lawrence-17946108, https://northyorkshire.police.uk/news/claudia-lawrence-investigation/, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/what_happened_to_claudia. The chef, 35, failed to arrive for work at York University on 18 March . It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The father of missing Claudia Lawrence has died without ever knowing what happened to his daughter. I also believe that she died shortly after her disappearance. The mother of missing Claudia Lawrence has said she is in "utter shock" over the new police search for her daughter. The Times reported that evidence shows her mobile phone was active near her home four hours after her disappearance, having failed to turn up for work at York University ten years ago on March 19, 2009. [6] The general finding which emerged from the original enquiry was that Lawrence had probably been abducted and murdered shortly after leaving home on 19 March. The two were reported to have been on friendly terms and he had often given her lifts in his car to and from work. Any information we glean will be passed to the police. (Claudia (far right) with her sister Ali (left) and mum Joan (centre). This indicates that the phone itself did not leave the local area. [32] Searches were made of the suspect's house in York and his mother's house in North Shields, Tyneside. This comment has been removed by the author. Claudia and Ali were obsessed with horses growing up and each of them had a pony which they adored. That evening she spoke to her parents by telephone, making plans with her mother to spend Mother's Day together. I was expecting to hear that he'd been charged but the case was dropped. She was raised in the Hewton area of York by her father Peter Lawrence, a solicitor, and mother Joan. [43] At the end of the search detective Wayne Fox, senior investigating officer in the Lawrence case, stated that nothing significant had been found. Amazon.com: Total Health for Extraordinary Living (Total Health Tips Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. [18], In September 2009, NYP revealed that the search for Lawrence had been extended to Cyprus. On the eve of the 12th anniversary, Martin Dales, a friend of Mr Lawrence, said: Despite the exhaustive efforts of Claudias late father Peter, family and friends, and North Yorkshire Police, there are still no answers and it is tragic that Peter has died not knowing what has happened to her. The chef, 35, failed to arrive for work at York University on 18 March . Investigators were able to trace some more information from her phone (which was still missing) and established that she had spent a lot of time in a place called Acomb (which is another area of York) in the weeks leading up to her disappearance. [47][48] Nevertheless, some observers believe that the NYP's focus on Lawrence's lifestyle and social circle may have been misguided. An appeal for help was made by John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York. [30] CCTV footage, recovered in 2009, showed a silver Ford Focus hatchback car, manufactured between 1998 and 2004, driving along Heworth Road. 3. And yes, I will definitely check out the Facebook group. It was so out of character for her, she loved her job and was happy with her life and friends so what happened? There were people taken in for questioning and some were arrested and let go. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/claudia-s-law-to-lift-families-of-missing-people-out-of-legal-limbo. Whatever went on in Claudia's private life, she didn't deserve this and she didn't deserve the lack of sympathy either. I dont know if this fact makes the case any unique, I think it probably does. Detective Superintendent Wayne Fox the new senior investigating officer on the case, said he believes several people know, or have suspicions about, what happened to the 35-year-old when she went missing in York in 2009. You can also contact Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555 111, Thank you for checking out my latest case, see you in the next one x. UPDATE: August 2021. Do you know if there were any other mysterious disappearances around that time? Also, we have no actual scene where something untoward may have happened to her despite fresh forensic assessments of her house, car and other locations.. Maybe the police know or at least clearly presume what happened and/or who might be responsible for that all, but cannot make any statements at the moment due to lack of evidence? There was also some CCTV footage of a strange male figure seen around the back of Claudia's house at 5:30am that morning. Generally Im not familiar with Northern England at all, so I have no idea if its safe or dangerous and how high or low the crime rate there is, Id like to find out more about it as well, so Im hoping there is someone from that area who could enlighten me. Monday marks a decade since Lawrence, who was a chef at the University of York, disappeared at the age of 35. The manager took no further action. She was always seen with her friends having a good time and enjoying herself. DETECTIVES investigating the death of missing Claudia Lawrence have been handed a floral tribute claiming that she is "in the water" of a beauty spot. Hundreds of officers across various forces were initially involved but the investigation has been scaled back over the years. Finally, the most comprehensive, informative and very detailed article can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/what_happened_to_claudia , its pretty long and might probably seem a little bit hard to read to some people, however, its definitely worth reading because it tells us about Claudias childhood and social circle as well as her job. Very good account and pointing out the medias role is a key thing. Claudia's dad was 74 and died on February 11 at St Leonard's Hospice in York following a short illness, his family said in a statement. -, Press J to jump to the feed. [21], Later in September, detectives made a search of an area of the University of York campus. Do you think that some information has not been released to the public? The large majority of these cases are quickly resolved when the missing person reappears. 35-year-old Claudia Lawrence, of York, went missing 11 years ago About Claudia Claudia Elizabeth Lawrence was born in Malton, North Yorkshire on 27th February 1974. Claudia Lawrence: Father of missing chef dies aged 74 - BBC News Police have launched search in gravel pits in York for missing chef Claudia Lawrence, who vanished in 2009 Miss Lawrence failed to arrive for work at the University of York on March 18, 2009. Nobody wanted to talk, a number of them were married and obviously they didn't want their wives to find out. Harris was quickly released without charge. Distraught Joan Lawrence, 76, said it was impossible for cops to investigate convicted killer Halliwell with "such a small amount of money". She supports the Missing People charity and makes her telephone number available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to support others who have missing loved ones. Her father says "it's very difficult" to conceive of her still being alive. October - Claudia's mum slammed the peanuts 40,000 budget to probe murder suspect Christopher Halliwell. Campaigners say this is a huge step forward in recognising the responsibilities placed on relatives when someone disappears and the current legal difficulties in obtaining permission to act on their behalf. What happened? Police in York are searching a flooded quarry for the remains of Claudia Lawrence, who went missing in 2009. Both of Halliwells victims died on the 19th. "I will do everything in my power to ensure people keep searching for my beloved and precious daughter.". This might be a little bit off topic, but recently I became very interested in such stuff partially because of my girlfriend who is a criminologist and also because I felt really bored and didnt know what to do during the quarantine. In 2007 Lawrence purchased a terraced cottage in the York suburb of Heworth, situated about three miles from her place of work. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. It has probably been discussed on Reddit several times already, but I took a glance at a few subreddits this case could be relevant to and found out that there were just a few posts and the most popular one had about 90 comments which I think is not much. We pay for videos too. In recent years there have been an average of around 3,500 missing persons reports per year in the NYP area. She did not report for duty. The first pictures of Claudia Lawrence's home were released by Joan in February 2017, who showed how the house had barely been touched since her daughter vanished. convicted killer Christopher Halliwell was involved in her disappearance. [4] Lawrence was discreet about this and her family knew little about her relationships with men. | The Terrifying Story Of Serial Killer, Sean Vincent Gillis | (Graphic Content), ''If You Belong To Me, So Does Your Baby'' | The Sick & Twisted Story of Former Rockstar Ian Watkins, The Moors Murderers: The Story of Ian Brady & Myra Hindley | Partners In Crime Series (Third Instalment) Graphic Content, The Story Of Ed Gein, His Mother & What Really Happened To Henry Gein? [5], Lawrence had holidayed several times in Cyprus, where she was believed to have explored job opportunities. The police seem to know what happened and who was involved, they just don't have the hard evidence or witness cooperation to forward it to a prosecution. You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. The mystery discovery was made by a member. It was like she had just vanished without a trace. I pray shes found alive though. Joan Lawrence has spoken to Sky News on the tenth anniversary of her daughter's disappearance. I am not stating that these people did anything its just my theory. May 6 - Mr Lawrence calls for an urgent independent inquiry into the police investigation of his daughter's disappearance and suspected murder. Anyone with information is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101. The 35-year-old worked as a chef at the University of York and was reported. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Claudia Lawrence: timeline of her disappearance - the Guardian Claudia Lawrence. Never to be solved? Digital Spy York is a pretty safe place in general. They have endured unrelenting anguish and trauma throughout this time. View our online Press Pack. I remember looking at this pretty woman and wondering what had happened to her. [26] The search at Heslington was later considered to have been prompted by hoax information.[27]. This case has a lot of complexity to it but I truly believe that those who call themselves Claudias Best Friends are involved in this case and they know exactly what happens to poor Claudia. Could it still somehow be related to her disappearance? Disappearance of Claudia Lawrence - Wikipedia This possibility was quickly dismissed. You will notice that in this post I talk about Claudia very much in the present tense this is because I feel that it would be disrespectful to talk about her in the past tense. Halliwell killed O'Callaghan two years to the day later on March 18 2011. Do you still have connections to York? Her family made an emotional plea for help days after she was last seen. Sources close to the police investigation believe it suggests she was killed by someone she knew, perhaps in her social circle. [29], The MCU subsequently assessed the Lawrence case and carried out new forensic searches at her home on Heworth Road. Police officers met with Lawrence's father at her home later that day. He lived close to her home and had been a colleague of hers at the University of York. And so her family has been left waiting, hoping they will one day have answers. A group of officers were sent to Cyprus to talk to some of the people who knew her including the man who sent her the text on the 18th of March. I totally agree, its a case that often gets forgotten! [6], At 6am on the morning of 18 March 2009, Lawrence started her shift at Goodricke College's Roger Kirk Centre. Whoever smoked it was either nothing to do with the case, or confident that the police did not have enough evidence to link him to the murder directly. I find it super interesting that someone had been smoking in her car even though her parents said she didn't smoke and hated people smoking around her. That is an awfully long time to carry such a burden of guilt. Also, all of her belongings were found untouched in her house, so its highly unlikely that she had been planning something. On 8 March 2016, the Crown Prosecution Service refused to pursue a case submitted by NYP against four men who had been arrested on suspicion of murder, citing lack of evidence. Claudia was A 35 Year old who enjoyed the company of middle aged men who were reasonably well off and in the main were already involved in a long term relationship, married or had a girlfriend.. Student houses are common targets due to them likely having several laptops, tellys and other gadgets. OCallaghan left a Swindon nightclub at near 3am and started the 20 minute walk to her home. Claudia, on the other hand, was an adult woman and disappeared in the area she was local to. The route from her home to place of work was checked at an early stage and no trace of her was found. At 9:12pm a text was sent to her phone from a male friend in Cyprus, there was no response from Claudia. The Secret Life of Claudia Lawrence? Posts Every Sunday Created, researched & written by Jo M Donnelly . The date was said to be significant to wannabe serial killer Halliwell whose former garden in Swindon was dug up by cops in the search for more victims. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. It is 12 years since the 35-year-old went missing in York. Claudia owned her own house and seemed to have the world at her feet so when she suddenly vanished on the 18th of March 2009 nobody could understand why. Picture credit: Well, according to the official timeline of Claudia's last known movements, she finished work as she normally would on the afternoon of the 18th of March 2009. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. I wonder what the purposes were. During the investigation, a number of people were arrested over Claudia's disappearance, but none of them were charged. Peter then entered Claudia's home using his own key in company with George Forman. Lawrence's solicitor father Peter campaigned for the law to be modified in order to allow the appointment of guardians for the affairs of missing people. Her manager called her mobile phone number but although the phone rang, the call was directed to voice messaging. Enter your password to log in. Also i believe his father is local to the area where Lawrence disappeared. I feel it's important to never give up hope in these situations as hard as it can be. Her family were furious and said that it was all lies. If we take a look at the most well-known unsolved peoples disappearances in the UK well see that the majority of those missing are boys and young men who could likely meet foul play due to the fact that most of them were last spotted in somewhat dodgy places/areas and at least a little far away from home. The date 19 March figures in a number of these cases and this date is believed to have had some significance to Halliwell. or someone who had abducted her? We pay for your stories! 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The call we really want is the one that helps piece together the parts of the jigsaw we already know regarding her last movements and people she associated with and places frequented, he added.