Deceased/Not Found UK - Steven Clark, 23, disabled, Saltburn, Dec 1992

[Marg from Oz]

Perhaps D.N.A. from the stamp would help identify the writer.

 

[Marg from Oz]

Duplicate

 

[Alyce]

Agree with what has been said about Stephen / Steven. That stood out for me, as Steven is the official documented name.
Sadly, I also think older person who may no longer be willing to get involved. Hopefully I'm wrong.

 

[CSIBlonde]

From the link that you posted:

Although Steven had been injured in a road accident in Scotland when he was two, leaving him with a limp, he was still able to walk fairly quickly, Charles said.

He added: “A bad limp affected his walk, but he could have got quite a distance in a short time, we walked to Saltburn regularly.

"He was quick if he wanted to be. There was not a hint of any problems, honestly there was not.”

(...)

His mother described Steven as a very sociable young man.

She said: “Obviously, he hated his disability. But he loved being out with people.”

She said Steven enjoyed music, bowling and going out.


BBM


The only disabilities that I have seen mentioned sofar are a disabled arm and a slight limp. Didn't stop him from walking or bowling or socializing.

This was the age when mobile phones were only starting to appear and not the commodity they are today. When people could not check on everything and everyone and had to make independent decisions. The son was 23 and an adult, not a toddler. So the mother went home and put the kettle on, expecting the son to come home. The father went to a football match.

Sensible behaviour in 1992.

Dad seems protesting too much about "honestly there really weren't any problems". Perhaps Stevens apprentice award & extrovert nature meant he was getting more determined to lead an independant adult life , as his learning difficulties were only mild: & maybe his parents were finding it hard to let go & tensions around that were brewing .Christmas can be a catalyst at such times. People think I can't do this for another year . I don't think there was a walk at all. Sorry to seem harsh but his Mum seems 'off'. Being sad I can understand, but 'bitter' & at him ? Hmm.

 

[Eloise]

Dad seems protesting too much about "honestly there really weren't any problems". Perhaps Stevens apprentice award & extrovert nature meant he was getting more determined to lead an independant adult life , as his learning difficulties were only mild: & maybe his parents were finding it hard to let go & tensions around that were brewing .Christmas can be a catalyst at such times. People think I can't do this for another year . I don't think there was a walk at all. Sorry to seem harsh but his Mum seems 'off'. Being sad I can understand, but 'bitter' & at him ? Hmm.

did he have learning difficulties? His disability was from being in a car accident and I've only ever seen reference to physical issues, not intellectual ones. But I might have missed something?

 

[Alyce]

did he have learning difficulties? His disability was from being in a car accident and I've only ever seen reference to physical issues, not intellectual ones. But I might have missed something?

Found this - although it is not stated what the other impairments were.



Steven walked with a pronounced limp as a result of a childhood road accident, which also left him with other impairments.


Steven Clark cold case: Parents arrested on suspicion of son’s murder in 1992

 

[Skigh]

did he have learning difficulties? His disability was from being in a car accident and I've only ever seen reference to physical issues, not intellectual ones. But I might have missed something?

I have read somewhere that he had learning difficulties.

 

[MrsWatson]

The writing on the envelope could have been my late MIL's, it looked so very similar to hers, including the punctuation in the address. Kind of freaked me out, as a matter of fact. She was from Newcastle, no further education past a secretarial course, worked for Rolls Royce in a clerical position and did a lot of writing for her job. Her writing was almost always all caps, very neat, punctuation that as an American, I found quaintly old-fashioned. Showed it to my husband, and he said, Wow, looks like Mum wrote that! (She didn't, she had lived in the states for 20+ years by 1998).

I know that is completely unhelpful as far as the investigation, but I thought it was interesting.

I'd really like to know what other impairments Steven had and how much care he needed. Since the accident happened when he was two, did he have intellectual delays? What kind and how pronounced were they? He was clearly doing well with his training, how did his parents feel about him possibly gaining more independence?

 

[Skigh]

The writing on the envelope could have been my late MIL's, it looked so very similar to hers, including the punctuation in the address. Kind of freaked me out, as a matter of fact. She was from Newcastle, no further education past a secretarial course, worked for Rolls Royce in a clerical position and did a lot of writing for her job. Her writing was almost always all caps, very neat, punctuation that as an American, I found quaintly old-fashioned. Showed it to my husband, and he said, Wow, looks like Mum wrote that! (She didn't, she had lived in the states for 20+ years by 1998).

I know that is completely unhelpful as far as the investigation, but I thought it was interesting.

I'd really like to know what other impairments Steven had and how much care he needed. Since the accident happened when he was two, did he have intellectual delays? What kind and how pronounced were they? He was clearly doing well with his training, how did his parents feel about him possibly gaining more independence?

That is so interesting as the image in my mind of the writer, fitted exactly how you described you MIL
I was thinking of an elderly neighbour I knew at a place I used to live. I can see her husband and her talking about something and him telling her not to get involved.
The gap in writing the letter could be because a partner was no longer there or the writer was ill and wanted to get something off their chest.
I wonder if the writer knew that it they sent the letter in 1992 /3 they would be identified.
Perhaps a milkman seeing someone early in the morning or other local person going to work.

 

[MrsWatson]

I wonder if the letter writer wasn't someone who knew the family, but not well enough to know that he was Steven v Stephen. Someone local to them, like @Skigh said, a milkman, or a shopkeeper. Someone who may have seen/heard something that wasn't right.

ETA: Am I not the only one who finds this whole case just really strange? I'm also not confident in whatever investigation was carried out at the time. Not at all. The parents' comments now, just really strange and someone else mentioned almost bitter, and I agree.

 

[Skigh]

I wonder if the letter writer wasn't someone who knew the family, but not well enough to know that he was Steven v Stephen. Someone local to them, like @Skigh said, a milkman, or a shopkeeper. Someone who may have seen/heard something that wasn't right.

ETA: Am I not the only one who finds this whole case just really strange? I'm also not confident in whatever investigation was carried out at the time. Not at all. The parents' comments now, just really strange and someone else mentioned almost bitter, and I agree.

Yes ,it is really odd,and I too have also wondered why it was not investigated properly at the time.
Everyone of us has questioned the story of the loo visit and her not checking the gents.
A fit ,young man vanishing into thin air on a cold December evening would raise concerns,yet alone a man with known disabilities.
The information in the letter sent in 1999 does not seem to have been acted on either.
Then 28years after he went missing the police arrest the parents and are seen searching local land.
Has something else come to light?
I think the use of the spelling of Stephen is just the writer using the spelling they have always used,it could be the name of a family member or friend.
I have used the incorrect spelling in some of my early posts as it is my default way of spelling it.
I think that that who ever wrote the letter has given information the police now feel is credible.
I would say that given the local searches , it was something they or a family member saw.

 

[MrsWatson]

Is there any information about his sister? I haven't seen anything, other than the fact that he has a sister. No age, did she live at home at the time, where is she now, etc.

 

[Mimi in London]

I wonder if the letter writer wasn't someone who knew the family, but not well enough to know that he was Steven v Stephen. Someone local to them, like @Skigh said, a milkman, or a shopkeeper. Someone who may have seen/heard something that wasn't right.

ETA: Am I not the only one who finds this whole case just really strange? I'm also not confident in whatever investigation was carried out at the time. Not at all. The parents' comments now, just really strange and someone else mentioned almost bitter, and I agree.

Absolutely - I get the same feelingL about things with the parents being ‘off’. Especially the mother. Did she give herself away a bit by speaking as though he might have left of his own volition, and how she would give him what-for after hugging him.

Makes me wonder whether he tried to spread his wings a bit too far for her liking.

The photo of him at the table with all the cards and the bottle looks like a 21st birthday, and looks to have been taken by a proud and loving parent. Maybe an overly-possessive parent.

IMO

 

[MrsWatson]

I noticed that as well, Mimi. Most 21 year olds aren't real hip on spending their 21st with the folks. At least not the whole celebration. It was almost...childish? the card display. Other than the bottle of booze, of course.

 

[MrsWatson]

I just looked again at the picture of him in his coat that was used on his missing appeal. He's a good sized guy, disabled or not.

 

[Skigh]

Is there any information about his sister? I haven't seen anything, other than the fact that he has a sister. No age, did she live at home at the time, where is she now, etc.

I think his sister was a year younger than him,so 22 at the time ,but cannot find the msm report so take that as my opinion.

There has been nothing else reported about her .
She did not feature in any of the parent's reports about activities on the 28th December.
I wonder if she visited the family home for Christmas.

 

[MrsWatson]

Well, that's interesting, @Skigh.

Hopefully you can all see the side-eye I have, heh.

 

[Sarahlou]

I noticed that as well, Mimi. Most 21 year olds aren't real hip on spending their 21st with the folks. At least not the whole celebration. It was almost...childish? the card display. Other than the bottle of booze, of course.

I think that really depends on the person to be fair. I don't see that alone as strange personally.

I do think the parents are hinky though.

 

[Skigh]

Well, that's interesting, @Skigh.

Hopefully you can all see the side-eye I have, heh.

I find the whole case strange.
He did appear to be a much loved and cared for son.
It would not be easy to remove and hide a body of his size.
No real police investigation until now.

 

[Skigh]

Clark, Steven December 1992

There are articles in this link posted earlier by Al Ka
Which mention his sister's name,Victoria,aged 32 when the article was written, and that Steven did have mild learning difficulties.