Found Deceased UK - Gaynor Lord was last seen in Norwich city centre on London Street heading towards Norwich Cathedral, 2:35 pm, 8 December 2023

[Officer Dibble]

Gaynor Lord 'may have met mystery person at before vanishing'

Ms Lord, 55, who has not been seen for five days, was last seen on CCTV leaving a city centre department store in Norwich where she worked at 2.45pm on Friday but never made it home.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Lubilu]

Is it populated around there? People always walking past etc or is it quite quiet?

It's a big park which is relatively busy in the day, and closes after dark. It's to the side of a well used road, but the park itself extends back from the road/is quite separate. Parts of the park can be quiet and secluded - I've gone there to practise yoga myself.

ETA: from Google it looks like the park is open 24h, but my partner and I went there after dark about two weeks ago and were told to piss off because the gates would be closed soon. The only other person there was giving us bad vibes so we were happy to relocate. Also, 'relatively busy' for Norwich is really nowhere near as busy as, say, London or Manchester.

 

[Officer Dibble]

Ok, just getting familiar with this case, so bear with me. I read on earlier pages, her husband failed to comment - who reported her missing? Dailymail says she was reported missing after failing to return home, so was that her daughter or husband who reported her missing?

I've watched all the CCTV and my thoughts are:

1) This is someone who is in a hurry
2) She knows exactly where she's going (even if we, watching the CCTV, don't)
3) She's in so much of a hurry, she actually crosses a road with a green light on and narrowly misses getting hit by a car, and she doesn't look back - she's determined to get *somewhere*
4) That somewhere appears to be the cathedral
5) After she visits the cathedral, her running/speed has slowed, but she's still very, very determined to get somewhere
6) Her coat is put on as she walks away from the cathedral which to me, indicates she's a bit cold, aware of her surroundings, but it could just be a motion she's used to doing - it's hard to read into that without knowing her personally
7) Going to do Yoga outside sounds...quite frankly very weird in these temperatures. It's hard to make any good analysis of the witness sighting
8) But the witness must be right about the sighting, because her belongings were found in that park

Going to do some more reading and take a look at maps as I don't know the area.

and to add to your No 6 - she is now missing the light coloured thing (scarf? slightly unravelled mini umbrella?) in her hands now. JMO

 

[Wishingwell]

It is ! Especially in Norfolk. The ladies do tend to go in groups though. I've never known one to go alone although it's quite possible.

Yes, that’s true. A few of my friends do it and they always go together. It’s too cold for me though!

 

[Officer Dibble]

Thanks for the timeline. IMO, it would be a little strange for an impromtu yoga session when she's AWOL from her workplace and not suitably dressed for it. If something made you leave work without telling anyone, would yoga be on your mind?

But was it really Yoga? Could be stretching, or like someone posted earlier, praying. JMO

 

[DetectiBamby]

Yes, that’s true. A few of my friends do it and they always go together. It’s too cold for me though!

Me too. I can barely get into a cold swimming pool

 

[formerpolicestaff]

Ok, just getting familiar with this case, so bear with me. I read on earlier pages, her husband failed to comment - who reported her missing? Dailymail says she was reported missing after failing to return home, so was that her daughter or husband who reported her missing?

I've watched all the CCTV and my thoughts are:

1) This is someone who is in a hurry
2) She knows exactly where she's going (even if we, watching the CCTV, don't)
3) She's in so much of a hurry, she actually crosses a road with a green light on and narrowly misses getting hit by a car, and she doesn't look back - she's determined to get *somewhere*
4) That somewhere appears to be the cathedral
5) After she visits the cathedral, her running/speed has slowed, but she's still very, very determined to get somewhere
6) Her coat is put on as she walks away from the cathedral which to me, indicates she's a bit cold, aware of her surroundings, but it could just be a motion she's used to doing - it's hard to read into that without knowing her personally
7) Going to do Yoga outside sounds...quite frankly very weird in these temperatures. It's hard to make any good analysis of the witness sighting
8) But the witness must be right about the sighting, because her belongings were found in that park

Going to do some more reading and take a look at maps as I don't know the area.

Additionally, by my calculations, she has done a 1.8 mile walk in total (from Jarrolds department store, to the cathedral, and then on to Wensum Park). This is a 41 min walk approximately.

She leaves Jarrolds department store at 2:44pm. So if she did that 41 min walk in one swoop, she'd have been at Wensum Park by 3:25pm. But Gaynor is seen at 4:01pm walking up St Augustines Street.

There's 33 mins unaccounted for according to police - cathedral grounds which she enters at 2.50pm and leaves at 3.23pm. Which is about right - my calculations say 36 mins (so this is the right range).

It seems whatever she was doing within the cathedral grounds is definitely of some importance. Praying perhaps? Is she a religious person? I am inclined to think so, if she visited a cathedral.

The strangest thing about all of this is the smile on CCTV at her workplace, then the rush and urgency to walk a 1.8 mile route.

 

[IrisElizabeth]

I guess if the two rings she took off were her wedding and engagement ones then that is pretty symbolic, and does sadly point to some kind of difficulties in her personal life that may have made her want to leave everything behind. But I could be barking up the wrong tree of course. I hope her family can get some answers, what a terrible time for them.

 

[Kassanddra]

Additionally, by my calculations, she has done a 1.8 mile walk in total (from Jarrolds department store, to the cathedral, and then on to Wensum Park). This is a 41 min walk approximately.

She leaves Jarrolds department store at 2:44pm. So if she did that 41 min walk in one swoop, she'd have been at Wensum Park by 3:25pm. But Gaynor is seen at 4:01pm walking up St Augustines Street.

There's 33 mins unaccounted for according to police - cathedral grounds which she enters at 2.50pm and leaves at 3.23pm. Which is about right - my calculations say 36 mins (so this is the right range).

It seems whatever she was doing within the cathedral grounds is definitely of some importance. Praying perhaps? Is she a religious person? I am inclined to think so, if she visited a cathedral.

The strangest thing about all of this is the smile on CCTV at her workplace, then the rush and urgency to walk a 1.8 mile route.

Interesting. There is more to Norwich Cathedral than just the actual Cathedral bit. If that makes sense.
There is a cafe, the grounds are lovely. Benches etc..
It would be a good place to meet someone. I wonder if she had arranged a meeting with a person at a specific point there.

 

[Kassanddra]

I guess if the two rings she took off were her wedding and engagement ones then that is pretty symbolic, and does sadly point to some kind of difficulties in her personal life that may have made her want to leave everything behind. But I could be barking up the wrong tree of course. I hope her family can get some answers, what a terrible time for them.

Maybe before the person she met, she removed her rings and put them in her coat pocket or bag?

 

[formerpolicestaff]

I guess if the two rings she took off were her wedding and engagement ones then that is pretty symbolic, and does sadly point to some kind of difficulties in her personal life that may have made her want to leave everything behind. But I could be barking up the wrong tree of course. I hope her family can get some answers, what a terrible time for them.

I'm not sure you are barking up the wrong tree. I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but that's looking like where this could be heading. Did her and her husband have a huge argument recently? What's her life like? Financially stable etc?

What I don't quite understand, is that if she was feeling suicidal, she had plenty of opportunity to throw herself in front of a car - but she didn't. In fact, she was somewhat careful to avoid being hit by a car.

And I don't understand her smile before leaving work. But we don't know what's running through someones head, so it's possible the smile was just a "work face" and didn't show her true mental state.

 

[formerpolicestaff]

Interesting. There is more to Norwich Cathedral than just the actual Cathedral bit. If that makes sense.
There is a cafe, the grounds are lovely. Benches etc..
It would be a good place to meet someone. I wonder if she had arranged a meeting with a person at a specific point there.

Thanks for sharing - I've never been to Norwich Cathedral, so this is great info. It does sound to me like she could have planned to meet someone there, even her husband? but taken her rings off as she didn't want the marriage anymore, or was meeting with someone and she didn't want them to know she was married? and that someone has been involved in her disappearance (just my speculation based on the info I'm reading)

 

[Kassanddra]

Thanks for sharing - I've never been to Norwich Cathedral, so this is great info. It does sound to me like she could have planned to meet someone there, even her husband? but taken her rings off as she didn't want the marriage anymore, or was meeting with someone and she didn't want them to know she was married? and that someone has been involved in her disappearance (just my speculation based on the info I'm reading)

This is inside the Cathedral when I went for a wander one day. It is open 7:30am all day.
It’s really a lovely place. But I do think she just met someone there.
Maybe walked and talked? If so she may have been sighted in the cafe.

 

[truthistheresomewher]

It’s bothering me. If it’s as police suspect/report their theory is she went in the river, why is this getting so much press coverage considering the uproar caused by the NB case. JMO

 

[Kassanddra]

Possibly she did go inside rather than walk around the grounds? As in the cctv of her leaving the Cathedral Grounds, she puts her coat on.

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

Without knowing the lady or the city, I randomly wondered AA sponsor (if urge to consume was greater at this time of year), or potential lover, or someone posing as a potential lover.

Generally ladies I know of that sort of age would tell a colleague that they are skipping off early even if they don’t give quite the same story to management.

 

[Officer Dibble]

So if she met someone, has this disappearance been staged by her and not a perp? Given recent news items this year it could have been a "I know how I can make it look convincing?" Just a thought of my own and of course only one of many theories. MOO

 

[formerpolicestaff]

This is inside the Cathedral when I went for a wander one day. It is open 7:30am all day.
It’s really a lovely place. But I do think she just met someone there.
Maybe walked and talked? If so she may have been sighted in the cafe.

Thanks for sharing the photo. I wonder if there's CCTV in there? If there is any more footage, it could be the smoking gun in this case. If there's any CCTV footage we need, it's CCTV of near, inside and around the Cathedral.

 

[Kassanddra]

Thanks for sharing the photo. I wonder if there's CCTV in there? If there is any more footage, it could be the smoking gun in this case. If there's any CCTV footage we need, it's CCTV of near, inside and around the Cathedral.

I would be surprised if not. Although it’s obviously hundreds of years old, it’s had lots of ££ spent on it. Very modern in parts, extremely well looked after. In a nice part of the city.

 

[DetectiBamby]

I'm not sure you are barking up the wrong tree. I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but that's looking like where this could be heading. Did her and her husband have a huge argument recently? What's her life like? Financially stable etc?

What I don't quite understand, is that if she was feeling suicidal, she had plenty of opportunity to throw herself in front of a car - but she didn't. In fact, she was somewhat careful to avoid being hit by a car.

And I don't understand her smile before leaving work. But we don't know what's running through someones head, so it's possible the smile was just a "work face" and didn't show her true mental state.

I can understand going to the Cathedral, but i dont understand why you would head to Wensum Park in particular in the cold and dark , did she live near there I wonder ? Maybe it was a favourite spot of hers ...or was meeting someone, so many questions...