Disappearance of Claudia Lawrence: Difference between revisions

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Trident13 (talk | contribs)
103,559 edits
Line 43: Line 43:


===2013 Major Crime Unit review===
===2013 Major Crime Unit review===
In June 2013, [[North Yorkshire Police]] announced the £300,000 creation of a new Major Crime Unit, set up to ease the burden on day-to-day policing. Based in [[Harrogate]], the MCU was to be tasked from October 2013 to handle crimes including rape and kidnap, and review cold cases.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-22868983|title=North Yorkshire Police plan £300k major crimes unit|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=12 June 2013|accessdate=12 May 2014}}</ref> In July 2013, the force said the unit would assess several "stalled" cases when it opened in October, including the disappearance of a Harrogate woman in 1997 and that of Claudia Lawrence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-23402183|title=Major Crime Unit to review disappearance|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=22 July 2013|accessdate=12 May 2014}}</ref>
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. Based in [[Harrogate]], the MCU was to be tasked from October 2013 to handle crimes including rape and kidnap, and review cold cases.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-22868983|title=North Yorkshire Police plan £300k major crimes unit|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=12 June 2013|accessdate=12 May 2014}}</ref> In July 2013, the force said the unit would assess several "stalled" cases when it opened in October, including the disappearance of a Harrogate woman in 1997 and that of Claudia Lawrence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-23402183|title=Major Crime Unit to review disappearance|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=22 July 2013|accessdate=12 May 2014}}</ref>


The MCU subsequently assessed the case, and carried out new forensic searches at her home on Heworth Road. Using what were described as "advanced techniques not available in 2009",<ref name=BBC26632241/> the MCU found additional fingerprints and a man's DNA on a cigarette end in her car. Work surrounding her [[Samsung D900]] mobile phone showed from cell site activity that she was in the [[Acomb, North Yorkshire|Acomb]] area of York in the weeks leading up to her disappearance, and that the phone was deliberately turned off by someone at about 12:10 GMT on Thursday, 19 March 2009.<ref name=BBC26632241>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-26632241|title=New clues found in home and car|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=19 March 2014|accessdate=12 May 2014}}</ref>
The MCU subsequently assessed the case, and carried out new forensic searches at her home on Heworth Road. Using what were described as "advanced techniques not available in 2009",<ref name=BBC26632241/> the MCU found additional fingerprints and a man's DNA on a cigarette end in her car. Work surrounding her [[Samsung D900]] mobile phone showed from cell site activity that she was in the [[Acomb, North Yorkshire|Acomb]] area of York in the weeks leading up to her disappearance, and that the phone was deliberately turned off by someone at about 12:10 GMT on Thursday, 19 March 2009.<ref name=BBC26632241>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-26632241|title=New clues found in home and car|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=19 March 2014|accessdate=12 May 2014}}</ref>
Line 49: Line 49:
On the fifth anniversary of her disappearance, a new appeal was made on the [[Crimewatch|BBC's ''Crimewatch'']], which aired on 19 March 2014.<ref name=BBC26632241/> CCTV footage, recovered in 2009, showed a silver [[Ford Focus]] hatchback car, manufactured between 1998 and 2004, driving along Heworth Road. The car’s brake lights come on, as it approaches level with Claudia’s house.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01vsr1l |title=BBC One - Crimewatch, 19/03/2014, Claudia Lawrence CCTV 2 |publisher=BBC |date=19 March 2014 |accessdate=27 March 2014}}</ref>
On the fifth anniversary of her disappearance, a new appeal was made on the [[Crimewatch|BBC's ''Crimewatch'']], which aired on 19 March 2014.<ref name=BBC26632241/> CCTV footage, recovered in 2009, showed a silver [[Ford Focus]] hatchback car, manufactured between 1998 and 2004, driving along Heworth Road. The car’s brake lights come on, as it approaches level with Claudia’s house.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01vsr1l |title=BBC One - Crimewatch, 19/03/2014, Claudia Lawrence CCTV 2 |publisher=BBC |date=19 March 2014 |accessdate=27 March 2014}}</ref>


On 13 May 2014, a 59-year-old man was arrested by North Yorkshire Police at a house in [[Burnholme Grove]] on suspicion of Claudia's murder.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/13568|title=Man arrested on suspicion of murder|publisher=[[North Yorkshire Police]]|date=13 May 2014|accessdate=13 May 2014}}</ref> The man has been named locally as Michael Snelling,<ref name=BBCArrest/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10828881/Claudia-Lawrence-investigation-friend-of-the-missing-chef-is-arrested-on-suspicion-of-her-murder.html|title=Friend of the missing chef is arrested on suspicion of her murder|author=Martin Evans, Ed Malnick and Alice Philipson|newspaper=[[Daily Telegraph]]|date=13 May 2014|accessdate=13 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2627016/Man-arrested-suspicion-Claudia-Lawrence-murder.html|title=Mental health charity worker arrested on suspicion of murdering missing chef Claudia Lawrence|author=Martin Robinson|publisher=[[Daily Mail]]|date=13 May 2014|accessdate=13 May 2014}}</ref> believed to be a project co-ordinator for the mental health charity, York Mind, who until 2013 worked for the Biology department at the University of York.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/11208946.CLAUDIA_LAWRENCE__Man_arrested_on_suspicion_of_murder___Suspect_named___2_houses_searched___Car_also_seized___Friends_and_family_tell_of_shock_and_hope___4_30pm_UPDATE/|title=Man arrested on suspicion of murder|author=Kate Liptrot and Dan Bean|publisher=[[York Press]]|date=13 May 2014|accessdate=13 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkvision.co.uk/news/lawrence-case-man-apprehended-named-as-university-worker-michael-snelling/13/05/2014|title=Man apprehended named as ex-university worker|author=Leon Morris|publisher=York Vision|date=13 May 2014|accessdate=13 May 2014}}</ref> Police, who also searched his deceased mother's house at [[North Shields]], [[Tyneside]],<ref name=BBCArrest/> said that further arrests could not be ruled out.<ref name=BBCArrest>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-27392172|title=Man held over Claudia Lawrence death|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=13 May 2014|accessdate=13 May 2014}}</ref>
On 13 May 2014, a 59-year-old man was arrested by NYP at a house in [[Burnholme Grove]] on suspicion of Claudia's murder.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/13568|title=Man arrested on suspicion of murder|publisher=[[North Yorkshire Police]]|date=13 May 2014|accessdate=13 May 2014}}</ref> The man has been named locally as Michael Snelling,<ref name=BBCArrest/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10828881/Claudia-Lawrence-investigation-friend-of-the-missing-chef-is-arrested-on-suspicion-of-her-murder.html|title=Friend of the missing chef is arrested on suspicion of her murder|author=Martin Evans, Ed Malnick and Alice Philipson|newspaper=[[Daily Telegraph]]|date=13 May 2014|accessdate=13 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2627016/Man-arrested-suspicion-Claudia-Lawrence-murder.html|title=Mental health charity worker arrested on suspicion of murdering missing chef Claudia Lawrence|author=Martin Robinson|publisher=[[Daily Mail]]|date=13 May 2014|accessdate=13 May 2014}}</ref> believed to be a project co-ordinator for the mental health charity, York Mind, who until 2013 worked for the Biology department at the University of York.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/11208946.CLAUDIA_LAWRENCE__Man_arrested_on_suspicion_of_murder___Suspect_named___2_houses_searched___Car_also_seized___Friends_and_family_tell_of_shock_and_hope___4_30pm_UPDATE/|title=Man arrested on suspicion of murder|author=Kate Liptrot and Dan Bean|publisher=[[York Press]]|date=13 May 2014|accessdate=13 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkvision.co.uk/news/lawrence-case-man-apprehended-named-as-university-worker-michael-snelling/13/05/2014|title=Man apprehended named as ex-university worker|author=Leon Morris|publisher=York Vision|date=13 May 2014|accessdate=13 May 2014}}</ref> Police, who also searched his deceased mother's house at [[North Shields]], [[Tyneside]],<ref name=BBCArrest/> said that further arrests could not be ruled out.<ref name=BBCArrest>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-27392172|title=Man held over Claudia Lawrence death|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=13 May 2014|accessdate=13 May 2014}}</ref> Snelling was released on [[police bail]] the following day, although NYP commented that forensic searches were to continue "for a number of days" at relevant properties to the case.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-27418063|title=Man bailed in Claudia Lawrence probe|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=14 May 2014|accessdate=14 May 2014}}</ref>


===Links to other cases===
===Links to other cases===

Revision as of 18:50, 14 May 2014

Claudia Lawrence
Born
Claudia Elizabeth Lawrence[1]

(1974-02-27)27 February 1974
East Riding of Yorkshire, England[1]
Disappeared18 March 2009 (aged 35)
Heworth, York, England
StatusMissing for 15 years, 3 months and 26 days
OccupationChef
Known forMissing person
Parent(s)Peter and Joan Lawrence
RelativesAli 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]

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's 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 the BBC's 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] 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 evidence that Lawrence is dead.[13][14]

Case progress

Original investigation

The independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers 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 whom 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 had not found any new leads from these searches and nothing of significance had been discovered.[27]

In late December 2011, the family of Claudia asked that the unknown person who had placed a wreath on the front door of Claudia's home each Christmas from 2009 onwards to stop placing them, as it was bringing further grief.[28]

2013 Major Crime Unit review

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. Based in Harrogate, the MCU was to be tasked from October 2013 to handle crimes including rape and kidnap, and review cold cases.[29] In July 2013, the force said the unit would assess several "stalled" cases when it opened in October, including the disappearance of a Harrogate woman in 1997 and that of Claudia Lawrence.[30]

The MCU subsequently assessed the case, and carried out new forensic searches at her home on Heworth Road. Using what were described as "advanced techniques not available in 2009",[31] the MCU found additional fingerprints and a man's DNA on a cigarette end in her car. Work surrounding her Samsung D900 mobile phone showed from cell site activity that she was in the Acomb area of York in the weeks leading up to her disappearance, and that the phone was deliberately turned off by someone at about 12:10 GMT on Thursday, 19 March 2009.[31]

On the fifth anniversary of her disappearance, a new appeal was made on the BBC's Crimewatch, which aired on 19 March 2014.[31] CCTV footage, recovered in 2009, showed a silver Ford Focus hatchback car, manufactured between 1998 and 2004, driving along Heworth Road. The car’s brake lights come on, as it approaches level with Claudia’s house.[32]

On 13 May 2014, a 59-year-old man was arrested by NYP at a house in Burnholme Grove on suspicion of Claudia's murder.[33] The man has been named locally as Michael Snelling,[34][35][36] believed to be a project co-ordinator for the mental health charity, York Mind, who until 2013 worked for the Biology department at the University of York.[37][38] Police, who also searched his deceased mother's house at North Shields, Tyneside,[34] said that further arrests could not be ruled out.[34] Snelling was released on police bail the following day, although NYP commented that forensic searches were to continue "for a number of days" at relevant properties to the case.[39]

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.[40] When a young woman's body was discovered at Christmas 2010, Lawrence's father wondered whether his daughter had been found, but that victim was later identified as Yeates.[41]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Births England and Wales 1837–2006
  2. ^ "Claudia Lawrence: one year on". Daily Express. 17 March 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Claudia Lawrence's father in YouTube video plea". The Daily Mirror. 27 June 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2009.
  4. ^ "Father's New Appeal For Missing Chef Claudia". Sky News. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2009.
  5. ^ a b c "The search for Claudia Lawrence". The Independent. 13 September 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
  6. ^ a b "Claudia Lawrence investigation – Detective Supt Ray Galloway". BBC Crimewatch. BBC. 31 March 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2013. {{cite news}}: Check |archiveurl= value (help)
  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. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
  8. ^ a b "Search for Claudia shifts to Cyprus". The Independent. 19 September 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
  9. ^ a b "Regatta crowd plea over Claudia". BBC News Online. BBC. 23 August 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
  10. ^ Wainwright, Martin (24 April 2009). "Hunt for missing chef Claudia Lawrence now a murder case". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  11. ^ "Peter Lawrence doubts police claims that Claudia had a secret life". York Press. 4 June 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  12. ^ Taylor, Alastair (18 September 2009). "Claudia cops sent to Cyprus". The Sun. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
  13. ^ a b Savage, Danny (18 September 2009). "Six-month Claudia search takes toll". BBC News Online. BBC. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  14. ^ "Claudia case now suspected murder". BBC News Online. BBC. 24 April 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  15. ^ "Crimestoppers offers 10k reward for Claudia Lawrence case". Crimestoppers UK. 24 April 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  16. ^ "Claudia Lawrence 10k reward withdrawn for second time". BBC News Online. BBC. 14 March 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
  17. ^ "Missing Claudia: 'Secret' Boyfriends Warned". Sky News. 7 June 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  18. ^ "Plea over Claudia relationships". BBC News Online. BBC. 5 June 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  19. ^ "Did missing chef Claudia Lawrence have a line of secret lovers?". The Daily Mail. 4 June 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  20. ^ "Missing Chef's Father Makes YouTube Plea". Sky News. 26 June 2009. 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. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  22. ^ a b "Hunt for missing chef Claudia Lawrence extends to Cyprus". Daily Record. 19 September 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  23. ^ "Claudia police search university". BBC News Online. BBC. 26 September 2009. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  24. ^ Key, Ian (30 October 2009). "'Rusty van link' in hunt for missing chef Claudia Lawrence". The Daily Mirror. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  25. ^ "York district searched in Claudia Lawrence inquiry". BBC News Online. BBC. 24 March 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
  26. ^ "Family hope over new Claudia Lawrence search". BBC News Online. BBC. 25 March 2010. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
  27. ^ "No leads from Claudia Lawrence searches in York". BBC News Online. BBC. 26 March 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  28. ^ Foster, Mark. "Wreath grief for family of missing Claudia Lawrence". www.thenorthernecho.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  29. ^ "North Yorkshire Police plan £300k major crimes unit". BBC News. 12 June 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  30. ^ "Major Crime Unit to review disappearance". BBC News. 22 July 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  31. ^ a b c "New clues found in home and car". BBC News. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  32. ^ "BBC One - Crimewatch, 19/03/2014, Claudia Lawrence CCTV 2". BBC. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  33. ^ "Man arrested on suspicion of murder". North Yorkshire Police. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  34. ^ a b c "Man held over Claudia Lawrence death". BBC News. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  35. ^ Martin Evans, Ed Malnick and Alice Philipson (13 May 2014). "Friend of the missing chef is arrested on suspicion of her murder". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  36. ^ Martin Robinson (13 May 2014). "Mental health charity worker arrested on suspicion of murdering missing chef Claudia Lawrence". Daily Mail. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  37. ^ Kate Liptrot and Dan Bean (13 May 2014). "Man arrested on suspicion of murder". York Press. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  38. ^ Leon Morris (13 May 2014). "Man apprehended named as ex-university worker". York Vision. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  39. ^ "Man bailed in Claudia Lawrence probe". BBC News. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  40. ^ "Police searching for missing architect Jo Yeates discover a woman's body close to golf course". Daily Mail. 25 December 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  41. ^ "Claudia's dad – My torment over Joanna Yeats case". Yorkshire Post. 10 January 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2011.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Disappearance_of_Claudia_Lawrence&oldid=608582881"