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. 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. The hours at her new job suited her fine as she started early and would be finished by lunchtime. Her family were furious and said that it was all lies. [4] Lawrence was discreet about this and her family knew little about her relationships with men. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. 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. Detectives soon began to favour this explanation. She was pursuing a degree in liberal studies at that time and looked forward to having a wonderful time in college. Would not surprise me if one of the girls did not set it up and was also there. This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 22:18. They have endured unrelenting anguish and trauma throughout this time. That Lawrence had been the victim of a person known to her. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/claudia-s-law-to-lift-families-of-missing-people-out-of-legal-limbo. Cooper attended the appointment but Lawrence did not. Such a guardian would have the power to, for example, stop direct debits for utilities. The route from her home to place of work was checked at an early stage and no trace of her was found. Peter Lawrence, who devoted himself to helping others with missing relatives, died after never knowing what happened to his daughter. It was big news at the time and I know a lot of people were worried that they were in danger as well. 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 The law would allow for a guardian to be appointed to manage the affairs of a person who has been missing for 90 days or more. 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. [38] The second investigation then ended having achieved little. You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number, I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. During that time, the smiling face of the York University chef has been . Her father says "it's very difficult" to conceive of her still being alive. Her family made an emotional plea for help days after she was last seen. March - Nearly a decade on from her disappearance, Miss Lawrence has still not been found. [45] In 2018 highly-regarded miscarriage of justice organisation Inside Justice investigated the Razzell case (and the alleged links to Halliwell) as part of a BBC documentary, Conviction, but it concluded that the conviction was safe and stated there was nothing linking Halliwell to the crime other than speculation. For other inquiries, Contact Us. 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. It made me think that the Police have strong suspicions as to what happened and who is guilty, but don't have the evidence that they're looking for as people aren't co-operating. Claudia was always popular and very pretty, as she grew older she was never short of admirers and had plenty of friends, male and female. 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. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Also, all of her belongings were found untouched in her house, so its highly unlikely that she had been planning something. I'm now on TikTok, hope to see you there! The only significant items missing were her mobile phone, a set of hair straighteners and a rucksack which she normally used to carry her chef's whites to and from work. Podcast Coming Soon!! convicted killer Christopher Halliwell was involved in her disappearance. This aspect of her lifestyle would later cause some media speculation and would also influence the police investigation of her disappearance. [17] In late August 2009, NYP and the Lawrence family used the annual Whitby Regatta in North Yorkshire to publicise the campaign. [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. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. The father of missing Claudia Lawrence has died without ever knowing what happened to his daughter. Indications were that Lawrence had left the house normally to go to work at around 5am on the morning of Thursday 19 March, but had never arrived. [7] Lawrence told her mother she was at home and that she planned to retire early since she would have to rise before 5am next day in order to walk to work, her car being under repair. [29], The MCU subsequently assessed the Lawrence case and carried out new forensic searches at her home on Heworth Road. Claudia Lawrence was last seen near her home in Melrosegate, Heworth, York, on the evening of March 18, 2009. Other theories include human trafficking, possibly being a victim of. But those concerned were all released and none were charged.[36]. 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. Harris was quickly released without charge. The search was reportedly prompted by new evidence although police would not state what that new evidence was. York is a pretty safe place in general. I think the guy on CCTV is a red herring, personally. Police are on their third day of searching for Claudia Lawrence . It is not too late.. Picture credit: The investigation into what happened to Claudia Lawrence began, there was apppeals and missing posters everywhere. Unsolved 2009 disappearance of 35 year-old woman from York, England, "Everything we know about the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence, 11 years on the day she vanished", "Peter Lawrence dies 12 years on from his daughter's disappearance, a case which has haunted her family", "Jealous partner theory on missing Claudia", "Claudia Lawrence mystery has dark undercurrents", "Inside Claudia's house - evidence to support she left for work but hair straighteners missing", "Hunt for missing chef Claudia Lawrence now a murder case", "Police investigate claims linking Claudia Lawrence and murderer Christopher Halliwell", "Crimestoppers offers 10k reward for Claudia Lawrence case", "Claudia Lawrence's father in YouTube video plea", "Hunt for missing chef Claudia Lawrence extends to Cyprus", "Holiday flings could hold clues to missing chef Claudia Lawrence", "York district searched in Claudia Lawrence inquiry", "Family hope over new Claudia Lawrence search", "No leads from Claudia Lawrence searches in York", "Claudia Lawrence: Timeline of her disappearance and suspected murder", "North Yorkshire Police plan 300k major crimes unit", "Major Crime Unit to review disappearance", "BBC One - Crimewatch, 19/03/2014, Claudia Lawrence CCTV 2", "Claudia Murder Suspect Released Without Charge", "Acomb pub landlord speaks out over arrest", "Three drinking friends all arrested", "Suspects won't be charged over Claudia Lawrence 'murder' - angry police blame 'lying witnesses', "Claudia Lawrence case remains unsolved despite exhaustive efforts", "Claudia Lawrence: Former gravel pits searched in missing chef case", "Claudia Lawrence: New police search in gravel pits eight miles from home of missing York University chef", "The eight Claudia Lawrence suspects and what happened to them", "Lake drained in hunt for missing chef Claudia Lawrence last seen 12 years ago", "Police drain lake in search for Claudia Lawrence", "Linda Razzell murder: Christopher Halliwell link dismissed", "How BBC documentary backfired on wife-killer Glyn Razzell's hopes of clearing his name", "Former Halliwell murder case detective releases memoirs", Mum of missing woman fears Christopher Halliwell may be involved in daughter's disappearance, Mum of Claudia Lawrence urges police to investigate killer cabbie amid new search for daughter, the Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Disappearance_of_Claudia_Lawrence&oldid=1142526010, People associated with the University of York, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Ex detective Fulcher wanted an enquiry as to why Halliwell wasnt investigated further regarding other deaths. Claudia Elizabeth Lawrence (born 27 February 1974) is an English woman who was last seen and heard from on 18 March 2009. Very much a tourist attraction. [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. Claudia was last heard from on March 18, 2009, with reports that she was last seen walking towards her home on Heworth Road. So the thing that gets me is that with todays phones, you can see pretty much EXACTLY where that phone is and maybe where its been historically down to feet. 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.. Claudia, on the other hand, was an adult woman and disappeared in the area she was local to. Her manager called her mobile phone number but although the phone rang, the call was directed to voice messaging. 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. 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. None of them wanted to be dragged into the case either. One of the investigators/journalists was threatened (or told "to back off"). The bed was made and there were unwashed dishes in the kitchen sink, suggesting she had eaten breakfast. 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 has always been very close with her family and had a happy childhood. More than a month after the missing person's report was opened, police upgraded the investigation to suspected murder. (CCTV footage of Claudia's last known movements. 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. She did not report for duty. And so her family has been left waiting, hoping they will one day have answers. March 19 - Miss Lawrence's father, Peter, contacts North Yorkshire Police after his daughter fails to keep an arrangement to meet a friend at the Nags Head pub. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. 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. The two women discussed celebrating the forthcoming Mother's Day. 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.. The car's brake lights come on as it approaches level with Lawrence's cottage. Previously, families could only take over the financial affairs of a missing person if they were declared dead under the Presumption of Death Act 2013. But in January 2017 officers said they were scaling back the probe, leaving her mum devastated that she may never find out what happened to her daughter. 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 chefs loved ones. The date 19 March figures in a number of these cases and this date is believed to have had some significance to Halliwell. March 8 - Police say the CPS has decided the four men will not face charges. What are your theories? [51], Lawrences disappearance caused difficulty arising out of her family's inability to manage her assets and liabilities. I remember looking at this pretty woman and wondering what had happened to her. This blog is dedicated to the late, best-selling authors, Reg Mckay, Ann Rule & my furbaby, Freddie Mercury. North Yorkshire police have been treating the case as a suspected murder investigation. She spoke to her mother that evening and made plans with her for Mother's Day which was that Sunday. Lawrence's father was a prosperous solicitor. When did Peter . Anyone with information is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101. Galloway indicated that the probable explanation for Lawrence's disappearance lay in her lifestyle, principally in the "complexity and mystery" of her relationships with men. 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. I can imagine how they feel and this is honestly horrific, I would not want this to happen to anyone. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Peter then entered Claudia's home using his own key in company with George Forman. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. They also found a male's DNA in her car on a ciggarette and some additional fingerprints but nothing came of this either. On 19 March, Lawrence was scheduled to start work at 6 am. That meant the house was pretty much the same Dna-collection-wise as it was when Claudia went missing. Furthermore, I feel sorry for Claudias parents who have been suffering a lot for over a decade. Claudia Elizabeth Lawrence was born on the 27th of February 1974 in Malton, North Yorkshire, England. Her father, Peter is a solicitor and her mother, Joan is a stay at home housewife. One such case is the disappearance of Swindon teacher Linda Razzell on 19 March 2002 while walking to work. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. 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. I first heard about this case a few years ago, but didnt really know the details, barely had any time to read articles and/or watch YouTube videos regarding Claudias disappearance and wasnt really interested in such stuff back then, so eventually I forgot about it. [47][48] Nevertheless, some observers believe that the NYP's focus on Lawrence's lifestyle and social circle may have been misguided. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. [43] At the end of the search detective Wayne Fox, senior investigating officer in the Lawrence case, stated that nothing significant had been found. In October 2019 her mum slammed the peanuts 40,000 budget to probe murder suspect Christopher Halliwell. by clicking my picture & donating to my PayPal or sending a donation to my CashApp: caledonianKitty THANK YOU!! "Whilst the current review team will and has been scaled down, the new Cleveland and North Yorkshire cold case dedicated team will still have responsibility to review any information that is considered relevant. Do you still have connections to York? Her parents say they dont know anything about that. I know that its no ones business, but where did all those accusations of dating married men come from? Peter contacted the police and reported her missing. Cooper telephoned Claudia's father Peter on 20 March to report the situation. I recently had a look back over the case and realised that it's been 11 years since the beautiful, 35 year old Claudia Lawrence had vanished from her home in York, England. I agree I think she was having an affair with one of her best friends husbands and i believe he was arrested and released. When she didn't arrive at work her manager tried to call her but didn't get an answer. Maybe someone will finally step forward and say something! I dont know if this fact makes the case any unique, I think it probably does. I think he disposed of the body in one of the building sites in York, or on somewhere on the Yorkshire Moors. Do you think that some information has not been released to the public? 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.. [39] The land had been used as fishing ponds since 1969. She was raised in the Hewton area of York by her father Peter Lawrence, a solicitor, and mother Joan. 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. I watched the documentary from CBS Reality online last night, where Donal McIntyre certainly gave the impression that he knew more than he was letting on - and that presumably their legal department would let go. 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. Cooper then attempted to contact Lawrence by telephone. The suspects had all been regular customers of The Nag's Head. Update in the Claudia Lawrence case. [6], At 6am on the morning of 18 March 2009, Lawrence started her shift at Goodricke College's Roger Kirk Centre. If you are in the UK and happen to have any information about this case, please pass it on to the police (no matter how small) by dialling 101 (North Yorkshire Police), select option 1 and pass the details onto 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. [18], In September 2009, NYP revealed that the search for Lawrence had been extended to Cyprus. Absolutely brilliant article! I have just finished reading the incredible & heartbreaking book 'Blood In The Snow' by John Henderson. That Lawrence had been the victim of a chance encounter with a. Claudia Drury was just 19 years old when she first came across Lawrence Ray at the Sarah Lawrence College dorm. She was probably going to see someone that night. I think he probably has someone on the inside of North Yorkshire Police who has kept him out of the picture. (Claudia (far right) with her sister Ali (left) and mum Joan (centre). She also sent a text message to a friend at 8:23pm but nothing after that. 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. The dreadful lies told over Claudia Lawrence's . Claudia's story was front page news and everyone wanted to know what happened to her and if she would ever be found. 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! Officials had not confirmed why the area was being trawled but said the search will take a "number of days". Could they not go with that, then look into people who live or have frequented the location? 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. Awesome post loved it! The chef, 35, failed to arrive for work at York University on 18 March . An odd similarity links the cases. As time went on, Claudia's family and friends never gave up appealing for information to help find her. Other theories have beenfloated, with one thatconvicted killer Christopher Halliwell was involved in her disappearance. I hope you'll join me in this post and give me your opinion on what you think may have happened to her. 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. Lawrence was considered punctual and reliable by her employer. The newspapers however took a drastic turn from being sympathetic to trashing Claudia's private life. [30] On the fifth anniversary of the disappearance, a new appeal was made on Crimewatch, which aired on 19 March 2014. It was so out of character for her, she loved her job and was happy with her life and friends so what happened? For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Claudia Lawrence was last seen in March 2009, with questions about her disappearance still left unanswered, Convicted killer Christopher Halliwell may be linked to six other murders, including the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence, New CCTV in Claudia Lawrence case six years on. Lawrence is passionate about all aspects of wellness including nutrition, exercise and mindset. The search for Claudia Lawrence is being hampered by the withholding of vital information, police have said 10 years after she was last seen. [35] Other arrests were made later. There was also some CCTV footage of a strange male figure seen around the back of Claudia's house at 5:30am that morning. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. This possibility was quickly dismissed. Click here to upload yours, Loose Women star lined up to be Strictly's first contestant in wheelchair, GMB's Kate Garraway reveals crippling cost of caring for her husband Derek, Stephen Bear 'broke behind bars' as his company is shut down before he's jailed, Mum identified after dead baby is found on heathland, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Her mother later reported that Claudia sounded ''cheerful and relaxed''. or someone who had abducted her? 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.