Deceased/Not Found UK - Nicola Payne, 18, Coventry, 14 Dec 1991

The family of a teenage mother missing for 26 years have enlisted private investigators in a last-ditch attempt to find her body. Relatives of Nicola Payne say the search is their 'last hope' after a catalogue of blunders by police.

Nicola's distraught parents, John and Marilyn, both 72, despaired of ever seeing justice after being told police did not have enough resources to continue searching for her body. But a social media campaign for help caught the attention of investigative reporter Mark Williams-Thomas and forensic search specialist Peter Faulding. They were so moved by the family's plight they offered their services for free.

Yesterday a team of their specialists launched a fresh search at Coombe Country Park near Coventry near where Nicola disappear
after receiving fresh information. The investigation involved a helicopter and a painstaking search of a lake bed by divers.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...investigators-Nicola-Payne.html#ixzz54xHEyGKj
 
Hi Chimpface, it's a bit of a late reply, I know, but she went missing by what's now called Moathouse Park, between Potter's Green and Wood End.

You just have to pass three better places to hide a body to get to Coombe Abbey from there.
 
I've just heard something interesting. Nicola's friend's mother thinks she might have been missing from the day before.

It had been assumed that she had gone with her friend to help her with a catering job down south. Nicola's friend's parents sat up and waited into the wee hours to make sure that their daughter arrived home safely, and was surprised to find that Nicola wasn't with her and had not gone to help with the catering work, and hadn't been seen that day.

This raises the question of how the police knew that Nicola had left the house that morning at 08:30 on the 14th.

This doesn't gel very well with the official version of events agreed by the police and Nicola's parents though, and I would believe Nicola's parents.
 
I've just heard something interesting. Nicola's friend's mother thinks she might have been missing from the day before.

It had been assumed that she had gone with her friend to help her with a catering job down south. Nicola's friend's parents sat up and waited into the wee hours to make sure that their daughter arrived home safely, and was surprised to find that Nicola wasn't with her and had not gone to help with the catering work, and hadn't been seen that day.

This raises the question of how the police knew that Nicola had left the house that morning at 08:30 on the 14th.

This doesn't gel very well with the official version of events agreed by the police and Nicola's parents though, and I would believe Nicola's parents.

Sorry but I don't think there is a bit of that hearsay story that's correct, there's plenty of proof that she was at her boyfriends house with their baby. Her father was also looking for her very quickly after she didn't turn up at their house which was around midday.

I think the new searches seem pretty positive, the news today said they have found a new witness too so fingers crossed they are on the right track.
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/fresh-witness-found-search-nicola-14208426

They all seem pretty convinced she is in that area by the lake, I really hope they find her remains and her parents can finally say goodbye properly.
 
Sorry but I don't think there is a bit of that hearsay story that's correct, there's plenty of proof that she was at her boyfriends house with their baby. Her father was also looking for her very quickly after she didn't turn up at their house which was around midday.

I think the new searches seem pretty positive, the news today said they have found a new witness too so fingers crossed they are on the right track.
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/fresh-witness-found-search-nicola-14208426

They all seem pretty convinced she is in that area by the lake, I really hope they find her remains and her parents can finally say goodbye properly.

There's stuff I can't say in public that lead me to share that post. I wish I could, but it would open me up to possible defamation of character or libel prosecutions. It's not hearsay, it's a direct quote from a close friend of the family at that time. I believe that she was also meant to be at John's at 0830, not midday.

I have always said that Coombe is a red herring. There's no way she's hidden in one of the most popular spots for dog walkers in the city. This is a collossal waste of resources. The only thing that made me even consider it was the discovery of the well in a house on the Coombe Estate.

Some members of the family don't think she's at Coombe either.
 
There's stuff I can't say in public that lead me to share that post. I wish I could, but it would open me up to possible defamation of character or libel prosecutions. It's not hearsay, it's a direct quote from a close friend of the family at that time. I believe that she was also meant to be at John's at 0830, not midday.

I have always said that Coombe is a red herring. There's no way she's hidden in one of the most popular spots for dog walkers in the city. This is a collossal waste of resources. The only thing that made me even consider it was the discovery of the well in a house on the Coombe Estate.

Some members of the family don't think she's at Coombe either.

You make some very interesting points, it does seem like a stupid place to hide a body, almost too obvious but the police seem convinced and they will be privy to a lot more info than the public.

My feeling is that Nicola was specifically targeted and this wasn't a random attack, with this in mind I think she was more connected to one of the suspects than we realise. What do you think about this?

Before Coombe became the focus of the search I felt the most likely place she ended up was under a garden or house somewhere.

Hopefully they will make a breakthrough and at least find something.
 
Does anyone know why the searches are so concentrated where they are? What makes them believe she is buried there?

Are the searches still ongoing now?
 
Does anyone know why the searches are so concentrated where they are? What makes them believe she is buried there?

Are the searches still ongoing now?

Searches have been going on this week with more planned in the future.

These are the private company carrying out the search, they have offered their services free of charge: http://www.specialistgroupinternational.com

I don't know why they are so convinced she is at Coombe, but they certainly seem to be. There was a story in the news last year that said a new witness had "confirmed" Nicola was taken there but it was a very vague report. I'm not sure why they feel this witness is so credible as not much info has been released to the public, but I guess they must have their reasons.

Sabex made a good point above that Coombe could be a red herring, and that Nicola is not there.
 
There's stuff I can't say in public that lead me to share that post. I wish I could, but it would open me up to possible defamation of character or libel prosecutions. It's not hearsay, it's a direct quote from a close friend of the family at that time. I believe that she was also meant to be at John's at 0830, not midday.

I have always said that Coombe is a red herring. There's no way she's hidden in one of the most popular spots for dog walkers in the city. This is a collossal waste of resources. The only thing that made me even consider it was the discovery of the well in a house on the Coombe Estate.

Some members of the family don't think she's at Coombe either.

Do you know where they think she is? Or do you have any ideas?
 
If the police are going with the theory that she was abducted on the way to her perents house then the two men seen waiting by the car are there prime suspects. Something about that makes me feel uneasy if they were waiting for her then they must of known she would be there at that time. How would they know that unless they knew her or someone told them she'd be there it opens up questions the police need to answer
 
I think the police have already found the murderers who have been tried and found not guilty. We can only sit here and hope her body is found one day which provides that missing "piece" that they need to convict them.
 
I'm new to this thread but live in Coventry. Have done for over 10 years. Was actually born in wood end. Like sabex I'm confused as to why they are are searching coombe abbey. What I will say is that wood end is an area I wont walk alone. When I used to visit my friend there I used to get her to meet me at the bus stop and either she or her kids would walk me back. I really dont like the area.
 
i dont think the body can be there if it was it would of been found by now.
 
States earlier in thread (Deano7) that the pair accused from 2015 allegedly murdered Nicola between 13th and 16th Dec. This gives some weight to the time discrepancy on 14th mentioned above, i.e was Nicola somewhere else on the eve of the 13th and this was when she actually went missing? She certainly knew at least 1 of those 2 guys. Everyone knew pretty much everyone else in that part of town, at that time apparently. Conveniently the car broke down in another town on the night of the 13th, potentially giving them an “alibi” of sorts for that night as well as the day of the 14th, where it seems some of the sightings of them locally could have been muddled with other dates. Somebody knows more. I’m surprised the £100k hasn’t had more response, although the investigator probably is keeping his counsel for now....
 
Strange I was just thinking about this case last night and woke up to see a new post.

I think any potential witnesses are too scared to come forward due to the characters involved. £100k is a lot of money but is it enough to start a new life and keep you safe if you're a local and know the person's involved? As I'd imagine there would be retaliation.
 
Hardly the Krays are they, couple of tinpot local scrotes with a bit of form, they wouldn’t be coming out alive in any case - anyone out there who can help should fill their boots!
In a grimly ironic turn, one appears to be doing waste disposal now.
 

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