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 continues and there's no word as of yet about who tipped the police off to search these areas or what, if anything has been found. All of a sudden the British public were picking up newspapers seeing all of these unsavoury details about relationships Claudia had with married men. 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. More than a month after the missing person's report was opened, police upgraded the investigation to suspected murder. University chef Ms Lawrence was last seen at 15:05 on Wednesday 18. [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. Other theories have beenfloated, with one thatconvicted killer Christopher Halliwell was involved in her disappearance. I think the guy on CCTV is a red herring, personally. As time went on, Claudia's family and friends never gave up appealing for information to help find her. [30] On the fifth anniversary of the disappearance, a new appeal was made on Crimewatch, which aired on 19 March 2014. She seems to have accepted this offer. Also, her personal life seems confusing to me. [20] It was reported that the last text message received by Lawrence was from a man who was on the island. The investigation itself was like searching for a needle in a haystack because although it's not right to judge someone on what they do in their private life (and Claudia certainly didn't deserve to be abducted, harmed or whatever happened to her) the police had to interview quite a number of men that Claudia had been involved with and that was a nightmare. 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. 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. The search for Claudia Lawrence is being hampered by the withholding of vital information, police have said 10 years after she was last seen. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. 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''. 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. The portrayal of her has definitely harmed the investigation . Hundreds of officers across various forces were initially involved but the investigation has been scaled back over the years. January 17 - Mr Lawrence says he is "hugely depressed and disappointed" as the investigation into his daughter's disappearance is scaled down. They even issued a statement saying "We know there are people who know what happened to Claudia, but they are keeping quiet." Picture credit: It didn't help matters when the investigators kept saying that she had a ''secret life''. He lived close to her home and had been a colleague of hers at the University of York. The 35-year-old, who worked as a chef at the University of York, had spoken to. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The two were reported to have been on friendly terms and he had often given her lifts in his car to and from work. The 35-year-old chef vanished after failing to turn up for an early-morning shift at a University of York canteen on March 19, 2009. . The original NYP investigation of Lawrence's disappearance considered various possibilities, including: One critical piece of evidence was that Lawrence's mobile phone remained on until 12:10pm on 19 March, at which time it was deliberately switched off. [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. [25] Nothing of significance was discovered. Please do the right thing, come forward and speak to me.. Cooper attempted to contact Lawrence again on the morning of 20 March, but again without success. Most murder victims know their killer. It baffles me. That evening she spoke to her parents by telephone, making plans with her mother to spend Mother's Day together. The police took down the reward for the 10,000 stating that time had run out for people to come forward anonymously and they were also annoyed about the fact that the people who Claudia did have some form of contact with, were not being cooperative. (CCTV footage of Claudia's last known movements. Yeah, basically this. [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. Other theories include human trafficking, possibly being a victim of. He also alluded to the fact that the police kept the location of the phone back. Posts Every Sunday Created, researched & written by Jo M Donnelly . ''She Had Beautiful Legs, I wanted To Keep Those Legs.'' These cookies do not store any personal information. This campaigning eventually succeeded with the passing of "The Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017" which was introduced to Parliament as a Private Members' Bill. I don't know whether all four men got together to kill her, or if one killed her and the other three know about it or what, but I think it is one of those cases where police know but can't do anything. This is a strange one for me as grew up in the same area and am familiar with this case. She also has a sister called Ali. In June 2013, NYP announced the 300,000 creation of a new Major Crime Unit (MCU), set up to ease the burden on day-to-day policing. This possibility was quickly dismissed. It is not too late.. 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's mother will 'never give up hope' the case will be solved after 10 years. [9], The North Yorkshire Police (NYP) was contacted at around 2 pm on 20 March in order to report Lawrence as a missing person. Any information we glean will be passed to the police. [42] Ground-penetrating radar equipment and cadaver dogs were used in the search. We can only hope technology advances will eventually get this case solved . He was released on police bail the following day[33] and then released from his bail without charge in November of that year. York is a pretty safe place in general. That Lawrence had been the victim of a chance encounter with a. 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. Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). I went to University in York and I think I was in my final year when she went missing. 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. Areas of York were searched but nothing came of that either. [49][50] In regard to Halliwell's possible involvement Lawrence's mother stated "The police may not have proved he had anything to do with my daughters disappearance, but they havent disproved it either". [40][41] Police drained one of the lakes on site to allow a fingertip examination of the lake's bed. Please do the right thing, come forward and speak to me.. We pay for videos too. I agree I think she was having an affair with one of her best friends husbands and i believe he was arrested and released. For 12 long years, the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence has remained one of Britain's most perplexing unsolved mysteries. Claudia Lawrence was last seen near her home in Melrosegate, Heworth, York, on the evening of March 18, 2009. A fresh appeal for answers about missing Claudia Lawrence has been made on the eve of the anniversary of her disappearance. There were people taken in for questioning and some were arrested and let go. Anyone with information is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101. The public was gripped by the whole situation. He is released on police bail and eventually released without charge on November 17 2014. Lawrence's family became increasingly insistent that she must have been abducted. That meant the house was pretty much the same Dna-collection-wise as it was when Claudia went missing. I was burgled twice in my second year so I gave some negative memories and can definitely see this kind of disappearance happening. [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. [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. There was insufficient evidence to bring charges. Nobody wanted to talk, a number of them were married and obviously they didn't want their wives to find out. Like the rest of the public at the time, I read the news articles and watched the Crimewatch reports and I saw how some of the public's interest in the case went from sympathetic to lacking interest. They also found a male's DNA in her car on a ciggarette and some additional fingerprints but nothing came of this either. 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. 15 members Join group About Discussion More About Discussion About this group This private members group is about ONE thing. [16] Also in June, 100 days after his daughter went missing, Peter Lawrence launched a YouTube appeal for information. The fact the they also arrest groups means they probably have a really good idea of what happened but dont want to release too much information to the public. 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. She later attended a local catering college and qualified as a chef. Around the time Claudia disappeared, there was a suspicious character caught on CCTV, but over the years nothing has. [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. 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. [3], Lawrence enjoyed a comfortable childhood and was privately educated at the York College for Girls. Mum Joan Lawrence, 76, who lives alone in a North Yorkshire flat, admits that being in isolation is making the disappearance of Claudia 11 years ago "even harder to deal with". Also i believe his father is local to the area where Lawrence disappeared. One such case is the disappearance of Swindon teacher Linda Razzell on 19 March 2002 while walking to work. [35] Other arrests were made later. During the course of the evening Lawrence spoke to both her father and mother on her mobile phone. 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. Harris was quickly released without charge. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. [38] The second investigation then ended having achieved little. But in June 2019, it was thought Claudia's mobile phone could hold a clue to the mystery. 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.. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. In his book, Stephen Fulcher stated that Halliwell had links to Yorkshire because his father lived there, however, his father lived in Huddersfield, some distance from York, and his father had died several years before Lawrence's disappearance. . 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. 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. As for the area I am from Yorkshire and have visited York frequently, its generally a real nice and safe area, attracts a lot of tourists. If there was foul play, I guess the guilty one was someone she knew, perhaps also a Local just like her. 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. 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. 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. https://northyorkshire.police.uk/news/claudia-lawrence-investigation/ theres a huge separate section dedicated to the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence on the official website of the police of North Yorkshire, it contains quite a few summaries about each further step in the investigation. 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. They considered it likely that she had decided to absent herself and would reappear after a few days. Peter Lawrence, at his home near York, holds a photograph of his missing daughter Claudia. 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. We want her back.". And yes, I will definitely check out the Facebook group. I hoped that she would be found safe and well. Her manager called her mobile phone number but although the phone rang, the call was directed to voice messaging. Claudia Drury was just 19 years old when she first came across Lawrence Ray at the Sarah Lawrence College dorm. May 13 - A 59-year-old man is arrested on suspicion of murder. The new law became popularly known as "Claudia's Law".[52]. convicted killer Christopher Halliwell was involved in her disappearance. 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. 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 manager took no further action. His vision is to create chronic health as the new normal instead of chronic disease and to bring holistic health education into the school curriculum. I think theres a pact going on between a group of her friends and this is the reason as to why no sign of Claudia or no evidence has been found. I do think the police know who killed her, but can't prove it. dug up by cops in the search for more victims. The investigation centred around construction of a "rogue's gallery" of the men she had been involved with. That Lawrence had been the victim of a person known to her. This person may be someone quite powerful in the criminal fraternity. During that time, the smiling face of the York University chef has been . Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. The chef, 35, failed to arrive for work at York University on 18 March . 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. The change in the law means families of missing loved ones will be able to take control of their financial affairs in their absence. In August and September 2021 police engaged in the Lawrence case searched Sand Hutton Gravel Pits, a wooded area around 8 miles (13km) north-east of York city centre. 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. Nobody knows who it is and her parents have asked for whoever it is to stop. The only CCTV camera on Lawrence's most direct route to work was at the Melrosegate Post Office, and the recording from the morning of 19 March did not show Lawrence passing. Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? News and entertainment worth sharing York and North Yorkshire. Joan Lawrence, is 76 and lives alone in North Yorkshire. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. leaving officers desperately probing into her past, her relationships and her work life in an effort to find her. 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. 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. Malyn said that despite being well-intentioned, much of this was speculation or theory. 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. This blog is dedicated to the late, best-selling authors, Reg Mckay, Ann Rule & my furbaby, Freddie Mercury. The date 19 March figures in a number of these cases and this date is believed to have had some significance to Halliwell. Claudia, on the other hand, was an adult woman and disappeared in the area she was local to. 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. They arrested four men a couple years back in suspicion of murder but stated that they ran into "a lack of cooperation from witnesses". Read our, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}. It was also Claudias very last conversation. I hope you'll join me in this post and give me your opinion on what you think may have happened to her. March 18 - Miss Lawrence speaks with her parents over the phone and, at 8.23pm, sends her friend a text. (Claudia (far right) with her sister Ali (left) and mum Joan (centre). 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. The only lead in this respect is some unknown male DNA on a cigarette found in her car. Halliwell killed O'Callaghan two years to the day later on March 18 2011. Her father, Peter is a solicitor and her mother, Joan is a stay at home housewife. March - Nearly a decade on from her disappearance, Miss Lawrence has still not been found. Claudia has always been very close with her family and had a happy childhood. This indicates that the phone itself did not leave the local area. [34] In July 2014, NYP arrested Paul Harris, the landlord of The Acomb pub (since renamed as The Clockhouse pub) in York on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. 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. I think it's plain for all to see (as much as Claudia's family found it hard to accept and I don't hold that against them, nobody wants to think of their loved one being talked about in such a manner and it must have been so horrible to see all of that stuff splashed all over the newspapers) that Claudia did have a private life (we all do) but it seemed that she had quite a few more relationships or encounters than usual. On the tenth anniversary of when she was last seen, police said they were still waiting for information from the public to help them make significant progress. She initially worked at several hotels and restaurants in York, but became tired of the unsocial hours this involved. For whatever reason, they have maintained a silence for 12 years. Peter Lawrence, who was 74, died on Thursday at St Leonard's Hospice in York following a. Her friend Suzy wasn't happy about it either and described Claudia as a very shy person. The search was reportedly prompted by new evidence although police would not state what that new evidence was. View our online Press Pack. 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. Claudia Elizabeth Lawrence (born 27 February 1974) is an English woman who was last seen and heard from on 18 March 2009. In 2007 Lawrence purchased a terraced cottage in the York suburb of Heworth, situated about three miles from her place of work. For whatever reason, they have maintained a silence for 12 years. 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 think he disposed of the body in one of the building sites in York, or on somewhere on the Yorkshire Moors. 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. It was so out of character for her, she loved her job and was happy with her life and friends so what happened? It is notable that OCallaghan was murdered by Halliwell on 19 March 2011 and her body was concealed. March 8 - Police say the CPS has decided the four men will not face charges. When I learnt more about the case I somehow realised that I was quite interested in it, so now I would love to discuss it with more people. She did not report for duty. 3. Picture credit: Hi, I'm Jo, welcome to my true crime blog. A fresh appeal for answers about missing Claudia Lawrence has been made on the eve of the anniversary of her disappearance. It was big news at the time and I know a lot of people were worried that they were in danger as well. What are your theories? He said: If you know something that could help us find Claudia, or those involved in her disappearance and suspected murder, please come forward. She sent a final text message from her mobile phone at 8:23pm and a final incoming text was received at 9:12pm. [47][48] Nevertheless, some observers believe that the NYP's focus on Lawrence's lifestyle and social circle may have been misguided. You might have been burgled more times than is the norm if you lived in a predominately student area. York was always seen as this lovely, safe picturesque city and to hear that someone had gone missing there was quite a shock and for Claudia's family and friends, they were completely dumfounded as well as worried sick. Very much a tourist attraction. The law came into force in 2019 but Mr Lawrence died last month without ever knowing what happened to his daughter. 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. 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. Police believe Miss Lawrence who was last seen on March 18 2009 has been murdered, although no body has ever been discovered. 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. Please, read each article thoroughly. She was probably going to see someone that night. Update in the Claudia Lawrence case. She spoke to her mother that evening and made plans with her for Mother's Day which was that Sunday. 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. Although that is not critical since she might have passed out of camera view or used a parallel street. The law came into force in 2019 but Mr Lawrence died last month without ever knowing what happened to his daughter. 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. For a privately educated daughter of a country solicitor, Claudia had some unusual acquaintances and this remains the only missing person case where I have been warned off or threatened - not once but twice". The two women discussed celebrating the forthcoming Mother's Day. I have just finished reading the incredible & heartbreaking book 'Blood In The Snow' by John Henderson. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Could it be the person who abducted her or murdered her? Notably they were unable to sell her house on which mortgage and other charges continued to accrue. 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. who showed how the house had barely been touched since her daughter vanished. 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. On the anniversary of Miss Lawrences disappearance, Mr Fox urged anyone with information to do the right thing and speak to him. 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. 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. 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. April 24 - Detectives say that Miss Lawrence's disappearance is being treated as a suspected murder investigation.