UK UK - Claudia Lawrence, 35, Chef, York University, 18 March 2009 #13

[Vixey]

Fri 13th was the day of the Cheltenham Gold Cup when CL got very drunk. According to SC, CL had been in the NH all day and was 'plastered' when she arrived at 9pm. Which doesn't exclude an encounter with a 'new' boyfriend.
Missing Claudia Lawrence's friend 'crippled by guilt' over disappearance

It was that evening suzy said she did not recognise the group CL was sat with x

 

[Yozzer]

If Claudia was walking to work as her Mum suggests she would. Then would Claudia be more likely to use the back door?

That would make no sense given that her front door faces onto her main route to work.

 

[Yozzer]

Hi I'm new and have been intrigued by this case since it happened back in 2009. I'm from York, and it was very much in people's minds for a long time. PL's death jogged my memory of the case, so I've been trawling through this forum for the past week. Apologies if anything I bring up has been discussed in detail previously, and I hope it makes sense - it is all just my opinion and thoughts at the moment. I don't think this case will be solved until someone speaks up and breaks the silence surrounding it. Obviously, NYP have more information and evidence than they are disclosing to the public, and I'm sure most lines of enquiry have been thought of and investigated at this stage. You'd like to hope so anyway!

Firstly, I don't believe the case has anything to do with Christopher Halliwell. His connection to Yorkshire was his father in Huddersfield. Huddersfield is at least an hour drive from York and in West Yorkshire. A few criminologists have spoken about how killers can tend to have a fixation on dates, and although 18th March was a significant date to Halliwell, if he was trawling around looking for a potential victim, in my opinion, it would have more likely been someone in the Leeds/Bradford/Wakefield area. Even if he was to grab a victim on the spur of the moment, looking at google maps the most obvious route driving from Swindon to Huddersfield would be along the A5 and A6 - neither of those roads go anywhere near York. He could have travelled into Yorkshire via Sheffield, but again, Sheffield isn't that close to York and it would have been quite a round trip. Even if he had dropped off on a long-distance taxi fare and was on his way back (I've dated a taxi driver before and they do sometimes get long-distance jobs but usually to airports and such), driving through York seems an unlikely route back, so I really don't think Claudia came into contact with him.

The most obvious suspect would be someone who knew CL, which seems to be what the majority of people and NYP believe. The fact that her phone never left the 9 mile radius of the UoY phone mast must suggest that the person who killed her was local and that her phone at least stayed within the area. There is a self storage company only a ten minute drive away from CL's house. I wonder if the police looked into any connections between the POI and if any of them had a storage lockup? Perhaps her body/phone/bag were kept there until it was safe to move them. However, they are probably covered by CCTV, so moving a body might be difficult without being seen, but a phone and bag would be inconspicuous enough. Further, police have searched her house three (?) times. In the case of Tia Sharpe, her grandmother's house was searched three times and they didn't check the loft space, where her body had been hidden. Hopefully this hasn't been the case with CL. As her house has sat vacant all these years it is a chilling thought to think that she may have had in fact never actually left her house.

I'm not sure if I think CL did leave for work on the morning police think she went missing. Being such a prolific texter and phone user, if the last message she received on the previous evening had been unopened, surely she might have replied to the message in the morning whilst she was getting ready for work? I know I check and reply to messages while I have my morning coffee, as I think a lot of people do, which leads me to wonder if she did disappear on the evening before. This is why this case is so baffling, because her work bag and chef's whites were missing. I wonder if she had the bag packed ready to pick up in the morning and if someone took it. Or she did step out of her door, as her dad said that her slippers were in the doorway as if she had put on her boots to leave the house, and she was picked up around her house. The co-worker who spoke in the channel 5 documentary, Murdered or Missing (I think that is what it was called?), seemed a little.. odd. He said he sometimes gave her a lift to work but that morning took a different route? Seems a little suspish to me, especially as he took over a year to mention the conversation he had had with Claudia about the new boyfriend only a few days before. I'm sorry, but if one of your close friends had gone missing, would you not wrack your brain trying to remember every single conversation with them in the hope that it would be useful information?

There have been rumours in York about her being buried under the Uni buildings, it kind of became a bit of a local joke, albeit a quite grisly one. I don't think it would be a stretch of the imagination to think that, as there was a lot of building work going on at the time. Have the police looked into any connection between work carried out at the university and anyone of interest who had connections to this work though the building trade? Further, although cadaver dogs picked up a scent near the river Ouse, anyone from York or the area would know that putting a body into the Ouse wouldn't be a particularly good idea (unless they weren't particularly bright, but this case has been unsolved for 12 years, so you'd assume some sort of thought went into the disposal of her body). Bodies always seem to turn up eventually in the Ouse or the Foss. In my opinion, even if it was weighed down, the fast flowing current and annual flooding would bring it up at some point.

I think the CCTV footage of the man seen hanging around the back of CL's house could have possibly doing some sort of drug pickup/drop off. This is speculation on my part, but I used to live in a pub not too far from that area and a gentleman who lived in Heworth, with a well respected job, would come into the pub. He was well known to the police and was known as a big cocaine dealer around that area at the time, so I don't think it is a huge stretch to think that that was what was going on here.

I did find a Getty image that I found fairly interesting - I will add a link if I am okay to do this. In the photo, CSI team are searching the house of one of the POI and one of the team is holding a piece of paper in his hand. Zooming in on this it looks like a photograph of possibly a house in disarray? Or something in the corner of a kitchen perhaps. It's hard to make out, but I would be interested to know what anyone else thinks it is and the possible significance of this picture?

Again, sorry if I am just rehashing what has already been discussed. Hopefully I can add something new to the discussion, and bouncing thoughts and ideas might lead to a spark that maybe helps get closer to solving this! Also, sorry that this is looking more like an essay!

Hi @cheddarcat having read your post with interest, I just wanted to mention the man seen in Limes Court. While it has been debated on here that the man may have been involved in a 'routine' drugs run, the police have made it clear that they consider the identification of this man very important.
'an unknown man seen on CCTV footage near Claudia’s home around the time she disappeared remains of very significant interest. Despite extensive enquiries and media appeals, it has not been possible to identify this individual.'
Claudia Lawrence enquiry moves to reactive phase - North Yorkshire Police

 

[keep-it-real]

It was that evening suzy said she did not recognise the group CL was sat with x

The ex Nags Head barperson also said the last time she bumped into Claudia was on a night out in York town centre Christmas 2008 she said she was with some people I recognised and some I did not.

 

[keep-it-real]

I don’t think Claudia had any reason to use a dual sim phone. Dual sim phones are used in my experience by men/women but I’d say generally men trying to hide a relationship . For anyone reading this who hasn’t seen one - they look like an ordinary model but house a dual sim with two numbers - the second sim is accessed with a pin. It enables the user to access calls/texts from a secret liaison. They were about in 2009

The sim card in Claudias Samsung D900 was accessed by taking the back off the phone and removing the battery. A dual sim adapter for this phone fits into the same place but holds two differnet sim cards. The two different tel numbers are accessed via the screen and keypad. The micro sd card is accessed on the side of the phone its opened quite easily no pin needed to insert the sim or sd card or switching between numbers.
The two you tube videos I posted a few posts back probably explains/shows this better.

 

[keep-it-real]

DBM

 

[cheddarcat]

Hi @cheddarcat having read your post with interest, I just wanted to mention the man seen in Limes Court. While it has been debated on here that the man may have been involved in a 'routine' drugs run, the police have made it clear that they consider the identification of this man very important.
'an unknown man seen on CCTV footage near Claudia’s home around the time she disappeared remains of very significant interest. Despite extensive enquiries and media appeals, it has not been possible to identify this individual.'
Claudia Lawrence enquiry moves to reactive phase - North Yorkshire Police

The man on the footage in the evening and the man on the morning footage do look very similar.

I thought that the morning man was identified as the local property landlord, RC (?), or was that just speculation?

 

[UKjester]

He died shortly after the so the police couldn’t confirm

 

[Yozzer]

The man on the footage in the evening and the man on the morning footage do look very similar.

I thought that the morning man was identified as the local property landlord, RC (?), or was that just speculation?

It was never confirmed although the 2019 Channel 5 documentary claimed it was probably RC. The Wednesday 7.15 pm footage was in the possession of NYP but not released until 2015 - a bad slip-up imo. I agree the 2 men are similar, if not the same person. It's likely NYP have stopped using the Thurs am footage due to its wide publicity and much discussion in MSM (incl. police comments) in 2009 regarding identity probably being RC. I'm pretty sure this would damage any prosecution case, which is why the evening footage has taken on greater significance, not least because of the time being so near to last confirmed evidence of life (the phone conversation with her mother).

 

[keep-it-real]

The man on the footage in the evening and the man on the morning footage do look very similar.

I thought that the morning man was identified as the local property landlord, RC (?), or was that just speculation?

RC spent his working life at York Carriageworks. He owned properties in East Parade and Heworth place.
he was found dead at his home on April 9th 2009. It was reported he died of a heart attack.
In the same York Press article it says he also had a night job cleaning railway carriages perhaps this explained the early hour visits he made to his rented property in Heworth Place.

Another friend of RC, 57-year-old CM, described him as a “workaholic” who bought properties to let before it became common practice. He also had a night job, cleaning railway carriages at York Station.

Ex-workmates defend owner of houses in Claudia Lawrence search

 

[Pinkizzy]

I'm sure someone on here confirmed there was CCTV that covered the front!?

I think the CCTV was in someone's house

 

[Pinkizzy]

Is info sometimes stored on the phone , rather than on the SIM ?

If it is could someone of taken Claudia's SIM out of her phone and put their SIM in Claudias phone; in order to safely go through the phone for info at their own leisure?

Surely phone masts track Sims and not phones

 

[Pinkizzy]

Do you mean she parked in HP?

Yes.

 

[MEKON]

Claudias bike was in the kitchen, I presume it would be easier through the back door rather then the front.

On choice for an exit for a walk to work in the morning; surely it would be easier using the front door than 'traipsing' through a 'mucky' and dark back yard . Additionally; if Claudia was receiving a lift ? , then wouldn't it be easier to check when your lift had arrived by using the front room and door,as the viewing and exit point. In the link below there's a picture of the front door,with even a handy coat peg rack. Surely in normal circumstances, a coat and Rucksack would be taken from here just before a front door exit


https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/31198...-the-missing-chefs-broken-and-neglected-home/

I know there's debate on whether Claudia was at home or at a lover's property.


But if we take the idea that Claudia was at home that night and was walking to work (the conversation with her Mum suggested this). Then surely the easiest and quickest method would be to use the front door. Furthermore; if Claudia refused the taxi fare from her Mum. Was this due to her obtaining a lift from someone her Mum wasn't keen on?. Thus; wouldn't the front door exit make even more sense

IMO; if Claudia did use the back door for an exit, I'd find that odd.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

RC spent his working life at York Carriageworks. He owned properties in East Parade and Heworth place.
he was found dead at his home on April 9th 2009. It was reported he died of a heart attack.
In the same York Press article it says he also had a night job cleaning railway carriages perhaps this explained the early hour visits he made to his rented property in Heworth Place.

Another friend of RC, 57-year-old CM described him as a “workaholic” who bought properties to let before it became common practice. He also had a night job, cleaning railway carriages at York Station.

Ex-workmates defend owner of houses in Claudia Lawrence search

There was far to little attention to him, I believe, whether to his death nor to his life.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

It was that evening suzy said she did not recognise the group CL was sat with x

.... And as a constant guest she didn't ask someone around her, who these people were??

 

[Deleted member 102539]

During the pandemic, I expected someone to snap and reveal what happened to Claudia...

Would have been a nice idea, but too much depends on it for those, who are in the know, IMO.

 

[Vixey]

.... And as a constant guest she didn't ask someone around her, who these people were??

I said that, but Suzy said she did not recognise them, nor did she know if peter was in that night!

 

[Vixey]

There was far to little attention to him, I believe, whether to his death nor to his life.

Sad really how many sudden deaths are due to heart attacks. MS father and brother died suddenly in the same way

 

[Vixey]

On choice for an exit for a walk to work in the morning; surely it would be easier using the front door than 'traipsing' through a 'mucky' and dark back yard . Additionally; if Claudia was receiving a lift ? , then wouldn't it be easier to check when your lift had arrived by using the front room and door,as the viewing and exit point. In the link below there's a picture of the front door,with even a handy coat peg rack. Surely in normal circumstances, a coat and Rucksack would be taken from here just before a front door exit


https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/31198...-the-missing-chefs-broken-and-neglected-home/

I know there's debate on whether Claudia was at home or at a lover's property.


But if we take the idea that Claudia was at home that night and was walking to work (the conversation with her Mum suggested this). Then surely the easiest and quickest method would be to use the front door. Furthermore; if Claudia refused the taxi fare from her Mum. Was this due to her obtaining a lift from someone her Mum wasn't keen on?. Thus; wouldn't the front door exit make even more sense

IMO; if Claudia did use the back door for an exit, I'd find that odd.

No I agree, you would use the front door unless using your bike IMO x