The father of missing Claudia Lawrence has died without ever knowing what happened to his daughter. It is not too late.. She seems to have accepted this offer. Her mother described Lawrence's mood as normal and relaxed. 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. NYP was initially slow to act on grounds that Lawrence was not a vulnerable person and there was no obvious evidence of violence. I believe that this case deserves as much attention as those well-known cases because its no less mysterious. 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. 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. [42] Ground-penetrating radar equipment and cadaver dogs were used in the search. September 17 - A file of evidence on four men arrested on suspicion of murder is sent by North Yorkshire Police to the Crown Prosecution service (CPS) so it can consider whether to bring charges. She had previously worked in a few pubs as a chef but the late hours began to take their toll on her so she was excited when she landed a job as a chef at the University of York. 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. Im not sure what it was about Claudia that caught the public attention so much but, unfortunately, I dont think shes alive and probably wasnt for very long after going missing. More to the point, in the light of there being no-one brought to justice in the 12 years, there are still one or more people at large in York or maybe somewhere else now who do know what has happened to Claudia and where she is and potentially remain a threat to the communities in which they and we live.. March 23 - A man in his 50s is arrested on suspicion of murdering Miss Lawrence and is released on police bail the following day. The Secret Life of Claudia Lawrence? Claudia Elizabeth Lawrence (born 27 February 1974) is an English woman who was last seen and heard from on 18 March 2009. She has not been seen or heard from since. [30] On the fifth anniversary of the disappearance, a new appeal was made on Crimewatch, which aired on 19 March 2014. We can only hope technology advances will eventually get this case solved . It is 12 years since the 35-year-old went missing in York. Detective Superintendent Ray Galloway stated that Lawrence "knew several people who live on the island" and that she may have "received job offers" while there. 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. [4] Lawrence was discreet about this and her family knew little about her relationships with men. She was reported to have engaged in a series of short-term relationships often conducted on a concurrent basis. That meant the house was pretty much the same Dna-collection-wise as it was when Claudia went missing. *edited as she did have her purse with her. Agreed, I think the police have a decent understanding of what happened to her but can't prove it currently. Nobody knows where she is or what happened to her and as we've seen in a number of cases, sometimes victims can be held for years and can be rescued decades later. The 35-year-old, who worked as a chef at the University of York, had spoken to. That Lawrence had left with a new lover or to take up a new job or merely to take a break. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. They arrested four men a couple years back in suspicion of murder but stated that they ran into "a lack of cooperation from witnesses". [51], Lawrences disappearance caused difficulty arising out of her family's inability to manage her assets and liabilities. Detectives also revealed there had been a reported sighting of Claudia at Melrosegate Bridge, with a woman spotted alongside a hooded man. Sources close to the police investigation believe it suggests she was killed by someone she knew, perhaps in her social circle. He also alluded to the fact that the police kept the location of the phone back. There was two potential sightings of a man and a woman either stood together outside of the University talking or arguing in the early hours of the 19th of March. I dont think these friends were truly her friends but some mutual people she met and knew from her local pub which was a few doors down from her home. Using what were described as "advanced techniques not available in 2009",[30] the MCU found additional fingerprints and a man's DNA on a cigarette end in her car. Comments are more than welcome. If you havent, but want to know more about it or refresh the information (the backstory, the circumstances etc), I encourage you to click the links below in order to get acquainted with the whole thing. | 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? [26] The search at Heslington was later considered to have been prompted by hoax information.[27]. I encourage anyone who has Facebook to join the group Claudia Lawrence- 11 years of lies because this group really does go deep into everything about this case. That Lawrence had been the victim of a person known to her. I want to go into some of the details of Claudia's disappearance and other factors surrounding the case. 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. 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. 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.. Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? The next day, the 35-year-old never made it to work at 6am, with the chef also not heading to her local pub that evening. This account already exists. It also takes two to tango, she was a single woman and some of the men were married, they should have known better and they were also in the wrong in that respect. They also found a male's DNA in her car on a ciggarette and some additional fingerprints but nothing came of this either. who showed how the house had barely been touched since her daughter vanished. Her manager called her mobile phone number but although the phone rang, the call was directed to voice messaging. Peter had a spare key for her house and was worried sick, he raced over to the house and his fears were realised when he found that Claudia was nowhere to be seen. How we can find what happened to Claudia Elizabeth Lawrence and bring her killers to justice. Although the police have treated Lawrence's case as that of murder, with various people arrested but later released, her fate is unclear. I remember a journalist mentioning that in all his decades of working as a reporter on missing persons cases he had never faced such hostility from the locals in the area or been literally threatened and warned off covering the story before as he had been with this one. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 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. Although convicted of only two murders Halliwell has been linked to many other violent offences against women involving assaults, rapes, disappearances and murders. July 29 - Police confirm they are reducing the number of officers dedicated to the inquiry into Miss Lawrence's disappearance. The route from her home to place of work was checked at an early stage and no trace of her was found. . She was probably going to see someone that night. A DECADE on from the day Claudia Lawrence was last seen alive, the detective heading up the investigation to find her believes answers still lie in A lot of people believe that Claudia either threatened to expose one of the married men or they wanted to silence her or that one of the wives had found out and took revenge. The 35-year-old, who worked as a chef at the University of York, had spoken to her mum on the phone that night, giving no hint anything was wrong. 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. He was released on police bail the following day[33] and then released from his bail without charge in November of that year. Maybe someone will finally step forward and say something! Also, her personal life seems confusing to me. [35] Other arrests were made later. She spent her early life with her father Peter (died 2021),[2] mother Joan and older sister Ali. I went to University in York and I think I was in my final year when she went missing. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Would not surprise me if one of the girls did not set it up and was also there. [32] Searches were made of the suspect's house in York and his mother's house in North Shields, Tyneside. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. York is a lovely place with some great scenery but, as with anywhere, there are some rough areas. leaving her mum devastated that she may never find out what happened to her daughter. This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 22:18. Do you still have connections to York? A brilliant article on a truly mysterious case. [47] Both NYP and Wiltshire Police have stated that there is no direct evidence linking Halliwell to the Lawrence case, and Wiltshire Police have disclosed that they have CCTV evidence of Halliwell buying petrol at a petrol station in Swindon on the evening before Lawrence disappeared. Oh I agree with you. In October 2019 her mum slammed the peanuts 40,000 budget to probe murder suspect Christopher Halliwell. [24] On 24 March, land near to a children's play area, near a muddy farm track, was searched, and on 25 March the search was relocated to a field near to the university, an area of land which is bordered by a playing field and student accommodation. Claudia Drury was just 19 years old when she first came across Lawrence Ray at the Sarah Lawrence College dorm. That is an awfully long time to carry such a burden of guilt. I hope you'll join me in this post and give me your opinion on what you think may have happened to her. Work surrounding her mobile phone showed from cell site activity that she had spent time in the Acomb area of York in the weeks leading up to her disappearance. This aspect of her lifestyle would later cause some media speculation and would also influence the police investigation of her disappearance. April 22 - Three more men, all in their 50s and from the York area, are arrested on suspicion of murder and are released on bail. 50 cash with friend referrals at Virgin Mobile, 15% off extra plans with this Vodafone promo, 50% off your 1st 3 months - Audible promo, 50% off selected memberships using this Ancestry discount, Save up to 20% off your rental when you book 14 days in advance at Sixt, Peril: Potter sends Chelsea dressing room message amid huge pressure, Arteta reveals why he didnt speak to Saliba for a week at Arsenal, Conte return date confirmed as Tottenham face massive week, Moyes responds to Keane criticism of Rice with bold prediction, Liverpool duo to follow Firmino out of Anfield as club look to refresh, Duke and Duchess of Sussex asked to vacate their UK home Frogmore Cottage, Flying Scotsman steams into Edinburgh to mark centenary, New Simon Armitage poem to mark 100 years of Flying Scotsman, Why Phoebe Smith wants to make the outdoors more inclusive, Belgian mother who killed 5 children euthanised 16 years after deaths, 300 new Ulez cameras rolled out but none in rebel boroughs, Estate agent wins legal fight with interior designer over 10m sale, Mother and daughter found dead in flat months after last being seen, Messages show Hancocks reaction after Gina Coladangelo CCTV leak. Unless we get information or intelligence to suggest that Claudia came to harm as a result of an opportunity taken by someone unconnected to her, me and the team still strongly believe the answer lies locally. Do you think that some information has not been released to the public? I'm excited to announce that I am currently working on a true crime podcast which will feature cases that I have already featured here on my blog as well as new cases + guests & more! She later attended a local catering college and qualified as a chef. 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. Lawrence's family became increasingly insistent that she must have been abducted. Her family were furious and said that it was all lies. The large majority of these cases are quickly resolved when the missing person reappears. https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/everything-know-disappearance-claudia-lawrence-17946108 this article contains all the information about the investigation throughout the years. This is a strange one for me as grew up in the same area and am familiar with this case. Her mother said that Claudia was going to celebrate Mothers Day with her and seemed cheerful and relaxed when they were talking over the phone. Wow, I didnt know that she started to distance herself from those friends and picked a new place to hang out at its really odd. 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. 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. It was so out of character for her, she loved her job and was happy with her life and friends so what happened? [13] NYP received over 1,200 calls offering information. She loved socialising and loved having a drink with her friends in the local pubs around York or going to a nightclub. The newspapers however took a drastic turn from being sympathetic to trashing Claudia's private life. Claudia Elizabeth Lawrence (born 27 February 1974) is an English woman who was last seen and heard from on 18 March 2009. The cigarette was found to have DNA on it years later but that DNA doesn't match anyone already on the database and no familial entries. Monday marks the tenth anniversary of the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. OCallaghan left a Swindon nightclub at near 3am and started the 20 minute walk to her home. [17] In late August 2009, NYP and the Lawrence family used the annual Whitby Regatta in North Yorkshire to publicise the campaign. Talk of her being abducted on her way to work, but after seeing pictures of a man walking past her home several times the night she sent her last texts, makes me wonder if she was lured outside 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. The investigation centred around construction of a "rogue's gallery" of the men she had been involved with. Claudia was supposed to meet her friend Suzy that night for a drink and a girly catch up but she didn't turn up so Suzy kept trying to call her and when she got no answer she called Claudia's father Peter. The longer you carry it, the greater the anguish you are causing to Claudias family and friends. [44] However, Razzell's husband was convicted of her murder and her family have stated that they have no doubt over his guilt and conviction. 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. Based in Harrogate, the MCU was to be tasked from October 2013 to handle crimes including rape and kidnap, and review cold cases. 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. 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. University chef Ms Lawrence was last seen at 15:05 on Wednesday 18. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. [20] It was reported that the last text message received by Lawrence was from a man who was on the island. This is a case which really messes with your mind because the circumstances were really complicated. Hopefully this could end up being the key. The only lead in this respect is some unknown male DNA on a cigarette found in her car. They have endured unrelenting anguish and trauma throughout this time. A detective investigating the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence 12 years ago has said it is not too late for people to come forward and stop the "unrelenting anguish" caused to the chef's loved ones. There were people taken in for questioning and some were arrested and let go. By clicking Sign up you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.