UK UK - Sarah Everard, 33, London - Clapham Common area, 3 March 2021 #2

[Gabster11]

PERTINENT INFO & PICS FROM VISITING THE SCENES TODAY

I visited the known route today, and a few related spots. Some pertinent points:

- Activity around Leathwaite Road goes on as what I assume is normal. There are a lot of workmen, vans, the odd heavy truck. There is the largest saturation of yoga pants I've seen anywhere in London (and I live in Holland Park). Many women out running with headphones, this seems to be the norm.

- It's heart-warming and yet saddening to see Sarah signs everywhere.

- The area around those streets is quiet even by day, I imagine it's moreso at night.

- Observing the rear gates of the Leathwaite Road houses that 'back on to the Common' as reported, it's very obvious that those gates and gardens are easily overlooked by some north-west parts of Clapham Common, namely the Changing Rooms, pitches and those areas.

- I noticed a handful of vagrants in those spots today, and at least one derelict/boarded-up building in direct line-of-sight to the backs of Leathwaite Road homes.

- Moving on to the A205 route, I can tell you that there is only paving on one side (the park side). It's a safe assumption (JMO) that Sarah would have walked on that side. (pic attached)

- Adjacent to the pavement is an unlit 'track' that is still in the park, covered by trees. JMO but I felt this would be a good way of following somebody who might be walking on the pavement. Alternatively, if the person was also walking on the same track ahead of me, I could confidently follow that person without being seen, IMO.

- I timed the route section A (leaving the back of Leathwaite until reaching the A24-A205 junction near Clapham South tube) twice, and it took around 10-12 minutes. Sarah waited 12 minutes from leaving her friend's house to call her boyfriend.

- JMO, I judge this delay could have been from deciding that it's unwise to be on a phone in such a secluded place. Alternatively if she was being harassed on that first stage she would have been delayed in calling boyfriend. You might ask if she'd not have just told boyfriend if she was being harassed? Not necessarily; by the junction she may have felt she was past the worst of any prospective harassment, or maybe if the relationship is new she wouldn't want to bring this up.

- The final corner of Clapham Common adjacent to the A24-A205 junction is a corner of shrubbery/trees where I easily spotted what looked like things that had been stolen from muggings etc. I'm talking old credit cards, season tickets, etc. Nothing to do with Sarah necessarily, but setting the scene. There were many used condoms, vagrant-related rubbish, etc. This would be a good spot from which to observe someone.

- Walking on to Poynders Road, the atmosphere changes. No more Range Rovers and yoga pants. In fact it quickly becomes menacing. I grew up on the very rough Somerleyton Road estate in Brixton in the 90s, some corners of Poynders remind me of that. If my girlfriend or daughter told me they were planning to walk there at night I'd be very concerned.

- I could only spot one single Ring doorbell on Poynders Road. There are a number of sizeable derelict buildings (pic attached). Because of the way the route works earlier on with the pavement, and because you can only cross the A24-A205 as a pedestrian on the northerly side, it is a safe assumption that Sarah walked on the north pavement of Poynders Road (JMO).

- There are deep excavation works on the corner of Poynders and Kings Avenue, just behind the first block there. Again, a lot of workmen. I make this point because there appears to be incredibly deep digging happening there, but I don't draw any conclusions.

- The last Sarah missing sign is around this spot.

- Moving on to Brixton Hill/Lambert Road, where CCTV has been censored. The only conclusion I could reach standing here was that the censorship happened to obscure Sarah's (maybe another key figure's) daily movements, as it's close enough to Craster Road to be relevant to her movements.

- Moving on to Craster Road and the surrounding area. Craster Road itself is a very quiet picturesque street. Not like the Brixton I know. I would say between 1/3 and 1/2 of front doors have Ring doorbells. There are huge yellow signs on entering the area that "traffic cameras are recording live". If Sarah had come home, she would have been recorded, anyone who walks down the street would be absolutely sure of that, but it's JMO.

- Standing on Craster, considering things, I felt sadness but also the sun started shining very strong. I'm not being wacky here, I just mean to say I think this woman's life is full of beauty, even the street she lives on (we believe she lives on?). I hope she is okay.

- The Sarah missing signs are visible once again in this area.

- Also standing on Craster it is immediately clear that the large - and notorious - Tulse Hill estate backs right on to this idyll. Sarah was obviously used to going through a rough estate to go running. Brixton - as gentrified as it is - is still an unconvential choice for a Durham-educated attractive young white woman to move to. Sarah was obviously at ease with the mix, and used to going through Tulse Hill estate regularly.

- This ease may have been why she was comfortable walking through Poynders Road and surroundings.

- Having followed this intensely for days, I had my theories. Having now seen much of the 'scene' for myself I have changed my theories. I don't believe she has been harmed/abducted by someone known to her. I don't believe her boyfriend has anything to do with this. I believe she was accosted on the first part of her journey on the edge of Clapham Common, and the same persons intercepted her around Poynders Road. I do not believe she made it home (or if she did, the police know this already and are manipulating information for an operational reason).

- London is still not a completely safe place. A man in Sarah's shoes would still have been a target in the same circumstances, albeit for different ends. However this is an issue for women to consider. I have two teenage daughters and a fiance in her 20s. That someone like Sarah could vanish like this is scary, we must all take precautions.

- If Sarah was intercepted by a vagrant from the park at knife-point, most likely she would have complied. If it was a workman with a van/truck, it would have been quite and dark enough to make off. Alice Gross comes to mind, in a way.

I will write more as this unfolds.

Interesting you write this - those two buildings have only become empty in the passed 6/12 months. One is the police station - recently used as just a transport base. The other is a vibrant church undergoing refurbishment. I beg to differ about the walking along Cavendish as a local - the initial part until Poynders is fine - even Poynders is. It’s interesting as a local you feel much more comfortable in areas others may feel troubled in.

 

[SouthLondon85]

Interesting you write this - those two buildings have only become empty in the passed 6/12 months. One is the police station - recently used as just a transport base. The other is a vibrant church undergoing refurbishment. I beg to differ about the walking along Cavendish as a local - the initial part until Poynders is fine - even Poynders is. It’s interesting as a local you feel much more comfortable in areas others may feel troubled in.

I would agree with this. Speaking as a local - I think it's tempting to imaginatively imbue a potential crime scene with an air of menace after the fact, but it really is a very busy road! And Cavendish Road is very safe feeling, I lived on it for years.

IMHO you would be stratospherically unlucky to be abducted off Poynders Road at 9.30pm in the short stretch between two traffic cameras at the very momenr your phone lost function by someone who knew well enough what they were doing not to leave obvious traces. Which is absolutely not to say that this did not occur, of course - but personally I would very much resist the narrative that it is the likeliest explanation based on the buildings being shabby.

 

[RapunzelUK]

Someone on Twitter feels like they've spotted a 'suspicious vehicle in Abbeville' they have on CCTV and called the Met several times to report it but haven't heard anything back. I feel like the police will be besieged by people calling and reporting anything and everything they feel is 'suspicious' in Brixton/Clapham because of the heightened sense of fear in London right now.

and another reported that their neighbour's car was stolen on Abbeville the same night.

 

[ApparentlyInDenial]

I would agree with this. Speaking as a local - I think it's tempting to imaginatively imbue a potential crime scene with an air of menace after the fact, but it really is a very busy road! And Cavendish Road is very safe feeling, I lived on it for years.

IMHO you would be stratospherically unlucky to be abducted off Poynders Road at 9.30pm in the short stretch between two traffic cameras at the very momenr your phone lost function by someone who knew well enough what they were doing not to leave obvious traces. Which is absolutely not to say that this did not occur, of course - but personally I would very much resist the narrative that it is the likeliest explanation based on the buildings being shabby.

@SouthLondon85 True it's not about the shabbiness - just the relative darkness. Apologies, I definitely don't want to offend the area; it's evidently got some diverse architecture, some of which very interesting. And there's history there.

 

[Skigh]

Thank you to all the locals for their first hand knowledge of the area and for your reports of walking in the area.

How likely do you think Sarah could have been abducted by car without being seen on cctv.
Was there any evidence of police/ volunteers searching the unoccupied buildings?

 

[twinpinesmall]

IMHO you would be stratospherically unlucky to be abducted off Poynders Road at 9.30pm in the short stretch between two traffic cameras at the very momenr your phone lost function by someone who knew well enough what they were doing not to leave obvious traces. Which is absolutely not to say that this did not occur, of course - but personally I would very much resist the narrative that it is the likeliest explanation based on the buildings being shabby.

well said. The unluckiest.

 

[SouthLondon85]

@SouthLondon85 True it's not about the shabbiness - just the relative darkness. Apologies, I definitely don't want to offend the area; it's evidently got some diverse architecture, some of which very interesting. And there's history there.

No offence taken!

 

[SOMETHINGWILLDO]

The probability of her being taken or hurt by a complete stranger compared to the probability of her being taken or hurt by someone she knows are very different. The police have given very little in terms of information, I could be very wrong but it makes me think that they already have an idea of who or what but just need the publics help for footage/information as proof.
It just seems very quiet in terms of what they’re telling msm and normally, but not all cases, it means they know way more than what they’re telling for now.

 

[Tortoise]

So, I have no idea where her partner lives but I'm wondering if it's a possibility that Sarah decided to surprise him with a visit, and if her intention might not have been to go directly home. Doesn't help us without the locations, or knowing if that was feasible, but it does mean we can't be entirely sure of the direction she might have taken. It could account for a seemingly strange decision to leave the main road.

 

[Blanche]

PERTINENT INFO & PICS FROM VISITING THE SCENES TODAY

I visited the known route today, and a few related spots. Some pertinent points:

- Activity around Leathwaite Road goes on as what I assume is normal. There are a lot of workmen, vans, the odd heavy truck. There is the largest saturation of yoga pants I've seen anywhere in London (and I live in Holland Park). Many women out running with headphones, this seems to be the norm.

- It's heart-warming and yet saddening to see Sarah signs everywhere.

- The area around those streets is quiet even by day, I imagine it's moreso at night.

- Observing the rear gates of the Leathwaite Road houses that 'back on to the Common' as reported, it's very obvious that those gates and gardens are easily overlooked by some north-west parts of Clapham Common, namely the Changing Rooms, pitches and those areas.

- I noticed a handful of vagrants in those spots today, and at least one derelict/boarded-up building in direct line-of-sight to the backs of Leathwaite Road homes.

- Moving on to the A205 route, I can tell you that there is only paving on one side (the park side). It's a safe assumption (JMO) that Sarah would have walked on that side. (pic attached)

- Adjacent to the pavement is an unlit 'track' that is still in the park, covered by trees. JMO but I felt this would be a good way of following somebody who might be walking on the pavement. Alternatively, if the person was also walking on the same track ahead of me, I could confidently follow that person without being seen, IMO.

- I timed the route section A (leaving the back of Leathwaite until reaching the A24-A205 junction near Clapham South tube) twice, and it took around 10-12 minutes. Sarah waited 12 minutes from leaving her friend's house to call her boyfriend.

- JMO, I judge this delay could have been from deciding that it's unwise to be on a phone in such a secluded place. Alternatively if she was being harassed on that first stage she would have been delayed in calling boyfriend. You might ask if she'd not have just told boyfriend if she was being harassed? Not necessarily; by the junction she may have felt she was past the worst of any prospective harassment, or maybe if the relationship is new she wouldn't want to bring this up.

- The final corner of Clapham Common adjacent to the A24-A205 junction is a corner of shrubbery/trees where I easily spotted what looked like things that had been stolen from muggings etc. I'm talking old credit cards, season tickets, etc. Nothing to do with Sarah necessarily, but setting the scene. There were many used condoms, vagrant-related rubbish, etc. This would be a good spot from which to observe someone.

- Walking on to Poynders Road, the atmosphere changes. No more Range Rovers and yoga pants. In fact it quickly becomes menacing. I grew up on the very rough Somerleyton Road estate in Brixton in the 90s, some corners of Poynders remind me of that. If my girlfriend or daughter told me they were planning to walk there at night I'd be very concerned.

- I could only spot one single Ring doorbell on Poynders Road. There are a number of sizeable derelict buildings (pic attached). Because of the way the route works earlier on with the pavement, and because you can only cross the A24-A205 as a pedestrian on the northerly side, it is a safe assumption that Sarah walked on the north pavement of Poynders Road (JMO).

- There are deep excavation works on the corner of Poynders and Kings Avenue, just behind the first block there. Again, a lot of workmen. I make this point because there appears to be incredibly deep digging happening there, but I don't draw any conclusions.

- The last Sarah missing sign is around this spot.

- Moving on to Brixton Hill/Lambert Road, where CCTV has been censored. The only conclusion I could reach standing here was that the censorship happened to obscure Sarah's (maybe another key figure's) daily movements, as it's close enough to Craster Road to be relevant to her movements.

- Moving on to Craster Road and the surrounding area. Craster Road itself is a very quiet picturesque street. Not like the Brixton I know. I would say between 1/3 and 1/2 of front doors have Ring doorbells. There are huge yellow signs on entering the area that "traffic cameras are recording live". If Sarah had come home, she would have been recorded, anyone who walks down the street would be absolutely sure of that, but it's JMO.

- Standing on Craster, considering things, I felt sadness but also the sun started shining very strong. I'm not being wacky here, I just mean to say I think this woman's life is full of beauty, even the street she lives on (we believe she lives on?). I hope she is okay.

- The Sarah missing signs are visible once again in this area.

- Also standing on Craster it is immediately clear that the large - and notorious - Tulse Hill estate backs right on to this idyll. Sarah was obviously used to going through a rough estate to go running. Brixton - as gentrified as it is - is still an unconvential choice for a Durham-educated attractive young white woman to move to. Sarah was obviously at ease with the mix, and used to going through Tulse Hill estate regularly.

- This ease may have been why she was comfortable walking through Poynders Road and surroundings.

- Having followed this intensely for days, I had my theories. Having now seen much of the 'scene' for myself I have changed my theories. I don't believe she has been harmed/abducted by someone known to her. I don't believe her boyfriend has anything to do with this. I believe she was accosted on the first part of her journey on the edge of Clapham Common, and the same persons intercepted her around Poynders Road. I do not believe she made it home (or if she did, the police know this already and are manipulating information for an operational reason).

- London is still not a completely safe place. A man in Sarah's shoes would still have been a target in the same circumstances, albeit for different ends. However this is an issue for women to consider. I have two teenage daughters and a fiance in her 20s. That someone like Sarah could vanish like this is scary, we must all take precautions.

- If Sarah was intercepted by a vagrant from the park at knife-point, most likely she would have complied. If it was a workman with a van/truck, it would have been quite and dark enough to make off. Alice Gross comes to mind, in a way.

I will write more as this unfolds.

Thank you for posting, I just dont think it probable that she was intercepted by a vagrant , why? and if so they are unlikely to have had a vehicle to transport her away, I also do not see a workman doing the same. if i was being harassed i would have told my boyfriend regardless of how long going out together, we dont know if boyfriend has an alibi . Interesting about her street having the cameras , lot to consider

 

[Firstsnow4]

So, I have no idea where her partner lives but I'm wondering if it's a possibility that Sarah decided to surprise him with a visit, and if her intention might not have been to go directly home. Doesn't help us without the locations, or knowing if that was feasible, but it does mean we can't be entirely sure of the direction she might have taken. It could account for a seemingly strange decision to leave the main road.

Those were my early thoughts - no one really knows what she was thinking after speaking to the partner or what was said which is really why the telephone call could be the key to this investigation

 

[SouthLondon85]

Thank you to all the locals for their first hand knowledge of the area and for your reports of walking in the area.

How likely do you think Sarah could have been abducted by car without being seen on cctv.
Was there any evidence of police/ volunteers searching the unoccupied buildings?

Good questions Skigh. There are very few domestic Ringos etc on Poynders Road that I could see due to it being mostly old mansion-style blocks/flats, and larger non-domestic properties. Not sure about private commercial CCTV. I only saw police with dogs searching the front gardens of the estates.

 

[twinpinesmall]

There are no cameras apart from that North Side camera, which she would not have willingly gone near as she was heading around the A205 curve down through the park (as SouthLondon85 described)

After that you get one camera facing the junction of the A24/A205 but it is facing the one way traffic leaving the park, so nothing visible there.

The only camera after that is Kings Ave/Poynders.

Ugh.

 

[Commoner]

We are assuming Craster Road, based on Strava.

But we do not know if this is corrrect, because it's possible she used the privacy feature (which obscures the real start point, and starts your displayed route only when you cross out of the privacy circle you have set on eg your home, choosing a radius up to 5/8mile)

New Park Road - one of the streets of police interest - would fall into that radius.

Looking further back on Strava, it seems likely that she has lived in more than one place in that area in last few years. That could make a difference to her 'mind map' of the area and routes she would choose

 

[twinpinesmall]

So, I have no idea where her partner lives but I'm wondering if it's a possibility that Sarah decided to surprise him with a visit, and if her intention might not have been to go directly home. Doesn't help us without the locations, or knowing if that was feasible, but it does mean we can't be entirely sure of the direction she might have taken. It could account for a seemingly strange decision to leave the main road.

really really good observation.

 

[gunsh0tglitt3r]

Another angle, do we know who the friend/s are that she spent the evening with? If phone data places the BF at his home, the only other known person/s to be aware of her activity would be the last place she left.. ?

 

[Cole Chasen]

@MsMiniSleuth Yes, it was behind Rodgers House, Plummer Road (coincidental street name!).

I used to live in Rogers House about 5 years ago.

 

[Sarahjo]

I’m more of the opinion that she hasn’t made it past the junction of Clarence and Poynders. From the locals posting, there seems to be no police activity beyond this point, everything seems to be from this junction back with activity up Rodenhurst as well so to me, this sounds like they haven’t picked her up either on traffic, door bell, commercial and private cameras and I’m sure they have seen many more cctv images than we have from non traffic cams which, if she had passed, would have saw her.

If she had decided to detour to her partners then she would have been picked up somewhere on the route, same as if she made it home so the fact that there’s no police activity beyond where her last phone ping is and beyond where the last confirmed sighting is, in my opinion is pretty telling.

now that’s not to say it’s been some random abduction, and the traffic cams could be showing some things of interest i.e a person known to Sarah on foot or by car heading in her direction... but her last sighting seems to be a black spot for cameras so if she was intercepted here there will also be no video evidence of this but there will be the video evidence of the offender returning to wherever he set off from to meet her..JMO but random person or known person I think it’s happened in this very area..

 

[TheBlueGuardian]

Because the police had divers and people on here have been mentioning white vans and construction sites - looking at the map the river thames it looks relatively close. Is it easily accessible to the public? I started looking at cctv stills that night and came across on what I think is suspicious. 12:22am and 12:26am a van appears to stop right before what I think is the bridge cross over. The first is 12:22am and what appears to be the same van is seen at 12:26am a bit further up with lights off but not visible in the next available still at 12:36am. What are your thoughts? Trying to get another perspective instead of focusing on poynders sighting. I don't want to think this way but keeping an open mind. Plus I think someone mentioned a suspicious white van earlier - probably hard to differentiate but is it similar to this one in the stills?

Wandworth Bridge York Rd/2021-03-04 - TfL JamCams Archive

 

[mrjitty]

I would agree with this. Speaking as a local - I think it's tempting to imaginatively imbue a potential crime scene with an air of menace after the fact, but it really is a very busy road! And Cavendish Road is very safe feeling, I lived on it for years.

IMHO you would be stratospherically unlucky to be abducted off Poynders Road at 9.30pm in the short stretch between two traffic cameras at the very momenr your phone lost function by someone who knew well enough what they were doing not to leave obvious traces. Which is absolutely not to say that this did not occur, of course - but personally I would very much resist the narrative that it is the likeliest explanation based on the buildings being shabby.

100% agree

I don't buy that theory at all