Disappearance of Claudia Lawrence

Disappearance of Claudia Lawrence
Claudia Lawrence
Born Claudia Elizabeth Lawrence[1]
27 February 1974(1974-02-27)
East Riding of Yorkshire, England[1]
Disappeared 18 March 2009 (aged 35)
Heworth, York, England
Status Missing for 2 years, 7 months and 20 days
Nationality British
Ethnicity White British
Occupation Chef
Known for Missing person
Home town Heworth, York
Parents Peter and Joan Lawrence
Relatives Ali Sims (sister)[2]

The disappearance of Claudia Lawrence is a missing person case concerning a then-35 year old British chef at the University of York.[3] The last confirmed sighting of her was on 18 March 2009, in Melrosegate, Heworth, York.[4]

Contents

Disappearance

Last known whereabouts

Lawrence was last seen nearing her home in Heworth, York, on the afternoon of 18 March, as she returned from her work as a chef at the University of York's Goodricke College at the Roger Kirk Centre. That evening she spoke to her parents by telephone, making plans with her mother to spend Mother's Day together.[5] Lawrence later sent a text message to a friend and has not been heard from since then. The last text message from her was sent at 8:23 p.m.,[6] and her last received message, from a bar worker in Cyprus, was at 9:12 p.m..[7] Lawrence's passport and bank cards were left at her home when she went missing.[8]

Reported missing

Lawrence was reported missing after she failed to arrive at work for her early morning shift the following day.[6][9] Police are now treating her disappearance as a suspected murder.[10]

Speaking on the BBC 'Today' programme on 4 June 2009, Lawrence's father Peter said he doubted police claims that she had a secret life. He queried the comments made by Detective Superintendent Ray Galloway on BBC Crimewatch programme, specifically that parts of Claudia's life "remain a mystery" and that police believe she had "complicated relationships" that her family and friends knew nothing about.[11] However, he later said that he "did not recognise" his daughter after the claims that had been made about her personal life.[12]

Six weeks after Lawrence went missing, the investigation into her disappearance was reclassified from a missing person's case to a suspected murder enquiry, although police have acknowledged they have no proof Lawrence is dead.[13][14]

Case progress

The independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers has offered a reward of £10,000 to anyone providing information which leads to the arrest and conviction of any person linked to the disappearance[5][15] but this has since been withdrawn.[16] Police have said that any past personal acquaintances of Lawrence have a limited time to come forward "in confidence."[17] Police have received over 1,200 calls offering information, and an appeal for help was made by Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York.[5][13] In early June 2009, a reconstruction of Lawrence's last known movements was featured in a Crimewatch appeal.[18] The feature generated more than 60 telephone calls.[19] Also in June, 100 days after his daughter went missing, Peter Lawrence launched a YouTube appeal for information.[3] In the appeal, he stated his belief that the internet was vital in the search.[20] In late August 2009, police and the Lawrence family used the annual Whitby Regatta in North Yorkshire to publicise the campaign.[9]

In September 2009, police revealed that the search for Lawrence had been extended to Cyprus.[21] 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.[22] Galloway also stated that some people who had been interviewed had been "reluctant and less than candid" when spoken to, and that a team of officers had been sent to Cyprus to interview people who Lawrence met there.[8] It was reported that the last text message received by Lawrence was from a man who was on the island.[21][22]

Later in September, detectives investigating the Lawrence case made a search of an area of the university where Lawrence worked.[23] In October 2009, police 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.[24]

On 24 March 2010, police began searching areas of Heslington in York, based on new information received "in the last few days".[25] 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.[26] It was later stated that police did not find any new leads from these searches and nothing of significance had been discovered.[27]

Links to other cases

Police admitted there were similarities with the cases of Melanie Hall and Joanna Yeates, two other young, blonde British women who disappeared in 1996 and 2010 respectively, but said that they have not yet found direct evidence to link them.[28] When a young woman's body was discovered on Christmas 2010, Lawrence's father had wondered whether his daughter had been found, but that victim was later identified as Yeates.[29]

See also

  • List of people who disappeared mysteriously

References

  1. ^ a b Births England and Wales 1837-2006
  2. ^ "Claudia Lawrence: one year on". Daily Express. 17 March 2010. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/162870/Claudia-Lawrence-One-year-on. Retrieved 19 March 2011. 
  3. ^ a b "Claudia Lawrence's father in YouTube video plea". The Daily Mirror. 27 June 2009. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/06/27/claudia-dad-in-youtube-video-plea-115875-21475278/. Retrieved 20 September 2009. 
  4. ^ "Father's New Appeal For Missing Chef Claudia". Sky News. 20 July 2009. http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Claudia-Lawrence-Four-Months-Since-Chef-Went-Missing-From-Home-In-York/Article/200907315341625?lpos=UK_News_Article_Related_Content_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15341625_Claudia_Lawrence%3A_Four_Months_Since_Chef_Went_Missing_From_Home_In_York. Retrieved 20 September 2009. 
  5. ^ a b c "The search for Claudia Lawrence". The Independent. 13 September 2009. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/the-search-for-claudia-lawrence-1786607.html. Retrieved 19 September 2009. 
  6. ^ a b "Claudia Lawrence investigation - Detective Supt Ray Galloway". BBC Crimewatch (BBC). 31 March 2009. http://www.bbc.co.uk/crimewatch/cases/2009/03/claudialawrence_investigation/index.shtml. Retrieved 31 March 2009. [dead link]
  7. ^ "Is missing Claudia Lawrence alive and working in Cyprus? Police fly out to quiz man who sent her last text". Daily Mail. 19 September 2009. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1214391/Police-probe-mystery-final-text-sent-missing-chef-Claudia-Lawrence-man-35-Cyprus.html. Retrieved 19 September 2009. 
  8. ^ a b "Search for Claudia shifts to Cyprus". The Independent. 19 September 2009. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/search-for-claudia-shifts-to-cyprus-1790040.html. Retrieved 19 September 2009. 
  9. ^ a b "Regatta crowd plea over Claudia". BBC News Online (BBC). 23 August 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/8216780.stm. Retrieved 19 September 2009. 
  10. ^ Wainwright, Martin (24 April 2009). "Hunt for missing chef Claudia Lawrence now a murder case". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/24/missing-chef-claudia-lawrence-inquiry. Retrieved 24 April 2009. 
  11. ^ "Peter Lawrence doubts police claims that Claudia had a secret life". York Press. 4 June 2009. http://www.thepress.co.uk/news/claudialawrence/4419164.Peter_Lawrence_doubts_police_claims_that_Claudia_had_a_secret_life/. Retrieved 20 March 2011. 
  12. ^ Taylor, Alastair (18 September 2009). "Claudia cops sent to Cyprus". The Sun. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2644208/Police-searching-for-missing-chef-Claudia-Lawrence-head-to-Cyprus.html. Retrieved 19 September 2009. 
  13. ^ a b Savage, Danny (18 September 2009). "Six-month Claudia search takes toll". BBC News Online (BBC). http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/8262001.stm. Retrieved 20 March 2011. 
  14. ^ "Claudia case now suspected murder". BBC News Online (BBC). 24 April 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/8016236.stm. Retrieved 20 March 2011. 
  15. ^ "Crimestoppers offers 10k reward for Claudia Lawrence case". Crimestoppers UK. 24 April 2009. http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/media-centre/news-releases/2009/crimestoppers-offers-10k-reward-for-claudia-lawrence-case. Retrieved 21 March 2011. 
  16. ^ "Claudia Lawrence 10k reward withdrawn for second time". BBC News Online (BBC). 14 March 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-12730583. Retrieved 18 March 2011. 
  17. ^ "Missing Claudia: 'Secret' Boyfriends Warned". Sky News. 7 June 2009. http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Missing-Chef-Claudia-Lawrence-Police-Warn-Secret-Boyfriends-To-Come-Forward/Article/200906115296849?lid=ARTICLE_15296849_MissingChefClaudiaLawrence:PoliceWarnSecretBoyfriendsToComeForward. Retrieved 21 March 2011. 
  18. ^ "Plea over Claudia relationships". BBC News Online (BBC). 5 June 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/8085241.stm. Retrieved 21 March 2011. 
  19. ^ "Did missing chef Claudia Lawrence have a line of secret lovers?". The Daily Mail. 4 June 2009. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1190492/Did-missing-chef-Claudia-Lawrence-line-secret-lovers.html. Retrieved 21 March 2011. 
  20. ^ "Missing Chef's Father Makes YouTube Plea". Sky News. 26 June 2009. http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Claudia-Lawrence-YouTube-Appeal-Missing-Chefs-Father-Peter-Makes-Web-Plea/Article/200906415320432?lid=ARTICLE_15320432_ClaudiaLawrenceYouTubeAppeal:MissingChefsFatherPeterMakesWebPlea&lpos=searchresults. Retrieved 21 March 2011. 
  21. ^ a b Key, Ian (19 September 2009). "Holiday flings could hold clues to missing chef Claudia Lawrence". The Daily Mirror. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/09/19/claudia-cops-quiz-10-men-on-cyprus-115875-21684795. Retrieved 21 March 2011. 
  22. ^ a b "Hunt for missing chef Claudia Lawrence extends to Cyprus". Daily Record. 19 September 2009. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2009/09/19/hunt-for-missing-chef-claudia-lawrence-extends-to-cyprus-86908-21685026/. Retrieved 21 March 2011. 
  23. ^ "Claudia police search university". BBC News Online. BBC. 26 September 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/8276210.stm. Retrieved 26 September 2009. 
  24. ^ Key, Ian (30 October 2009). "'Rusty van link' in hunt for missing chef Claudia Lawrence". The Daily Mirror. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/10/30/rusty-van-link-in-hunt-for-claudia-115875-21784035/. Retrieved 21 March 2011. 
  25. ^ "York district searched in Claudia Lawrence inquiry". BBC News Online. BBC. 24 March 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/8585832.stm. Retrieved 24 March 2010. 
  26. ^ "Family hope over new Claudia Lawrence search". BBC News Online. BBC. 25 March 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/8587195.stm. Retrieved 25 March 2010. 
  27. ^ "No leads from Claudia Lawrence searches in York". BBC News Online. BBC. 26 March 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/8590067.stm. Retrieved 6 April 2010. 
  28. ^ "Police searching for missing architect Jo Yeates discover a woman's body close to golf course". Daily Mail. 25 December 2010. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1341520/Missing-architect-Jo-Yeates-Police-womans-body.html. Retrieved 26 December 2010. 
  29. ^ "Claudia's dad - My torment over Joanna Yeats case". Yorkshire Post. 10 January 2011. http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Claudias-dad--My-torment.6685576.jp. Retrieved 6 February 2011. 

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