Found Deceased UK - Richard Okorogheye, 19, Oxford Student, Ladbroke Grove, West London, 24 Mar 2021

[Puzzles]

@Puzzles It wasn't necessarily related as a definite, just someone local had been walking in forest few days before and saw what appeared like a sheet thrown over branches as a kind of shelter. He reported it to police when Loughton then became a focal point. Could easily just be a homeless person, but you never know, and the police do ask for all tips however small.

Ah, I get it. Thank you, @MsMiniSleuth.

 

[Puzzles]

DBM Duplicate post

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

Just for info, I asked my daughter to see how much an Uber would cost from Ladbroke Grove to Loughton (I don't have the Uber app on my phone). She checked and said £43.00. This was at 5pm, so it would be cheaper later at night.

He went from W2 though, which could be anywhere between Queensway - Bishops Bridge Road - Paddington right up to Marble Arch (my *guess* is Edgware Road) all W2. But still around £36 - £45 with Uber or Bolt, so costly.

 

[4441]

I was thinking he must have had some communication with the driver because it would have taken almost an hour to get to Loughton I’d think. I wonder if the driver came forward or was traced by cctv?

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

Apparently the shelter that was talked about turned out to be a bicycle cover.

A waterproof cover then for anyone wanting to bed down for a few hours and get some protection from the elements.

 

[Wendy101]

I’m with mom on this one. I think Richard has met someone online.

I believe went off to pursue a real life relationship. One that mom may not approve of it that he thinks his mom might not approve of.

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

I wonder if the medication he didn’t take was refrigerated eg antibiotic. Otherwise how would his mother know he hadn’t got a mini-stockpile somewhere?

In a big bout of pure speculation, I wonder if he met up with someone from a sickle cell support group so non-antibiotic medication may be obtainable if he decided on a whim to stay a bit longer.

 

[Skigh]

I wonder if the medication he didn’t take was refrigerated eg antibiotic. Otherwise how would his mother know he hadn’t got a mini-stockpile somewhere?

In a big bout of pure speculation, I wonder if he met up with someone from a sickle cell support group so non-antibiotic medication may be obtainable if he decided on a whim to stay a bit longer.

I cannot imagine a sickle cell support group would meet after midnight in Epping forest.

 

[Tortoise]

I wonder if the medication he didn’t take was refrigerated eg antibiotic. Otherwise how would his mother know he hadn’t got a mini-stockpile somewhere?

In a big bout of pure speculation, I wonder if he met up with someone from a sickle cell support group so non-antibiotic medication may be obtainable if he decided on a whim to stay a bit longer.

Yes his mum said he's on antibiotics.

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

Skigh, I didn’t actually say he’d gone to a support group in a forest.

I am trying to think of who he may have met that he trusted enough to meet at night in a forest after an expensive taxi tide, whilst still wearing a face mask.

 

[Rosegold68]

Skigh, I didn’t actually say he’d gone to a support group in a forest.

I am trying to think of who he may have met that he trusted enough to meet at night in a forest after an expensive taxi tide, whilst still wearing a face mask.

i get what you mean...maybe formed a friendship with someone with sickle cell.

 

[Winterbells]

Do they not charge more after a certain time at night?

I’m not sure, but I don’t think so. They automatically add a ‘surge’ extra price if there’s a big demand, like when clubs are closing or New Year’s Eve etc, but on a weekday late night during lockdown I imagine they’re no more expensive than usual.

 

[Winterbells]

He went from W2 though, which could be anywhere between Queensway - Bishops Bridge Road - Paddington right up to Marble Arch, all W2. But still around £36 - £45 with Uber or Bolt, so costly.

As a student he’d have, I assume, a student loan and, if the family income is under a certain threshold, a maintenance grant, so given he’s living at home etc, he may have felt that £45 was affordable.

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

As a student he’d have, I assume, a student loan and, if the family income is under a certain threshold, a maintenance grant, so given he’s living at home etc, he may have felt that £45 was affordable.

Or could he have been given the money by someone else?

 

[Winterbells]

His mum said he’d become withdrawn recently; not talking to his friends as much, not caring about personal hygiene etc. I’m wondering if a romantic attachment had become unstuck - an attachment perhaps his mum didn’t know about. And maybe he was meeting up with that person to try to fix things. He wasn’t going out; he’d been advised to shield, so I guess he’d have known his mum wouldn’t be happy about him going out - I even wonder if he’d done this before (gone out when she was at work overnight and returned before she got home). I’m hoping he’s done something along these lines anyway and is now safely staying with someone but horrified and embarrassed by the fuss he’s caused.

 

[Winterbells]

Or could he have been given the money by someone else?

Not sure. You can’t pay cash for an Uber, so it would have to be put on someone else’s account - the police would know if that was the case, so I’m assuming he used his own account.

 

[annpats]

Watching him walking away on the CCTV makes me feel so incredibly sad

I know. Especially the bit where he looks back to make sure the taxi actually drives off....
Knowing he was walking down that road alone in the direction of the pitch black forest, I just can't bear to think about it. It's petrifying.

 

[Distant Observer]

I've seen the mounted police patrols in Epping Forest without realising why they were out. I know Loughton well. One end of Smart's Lane is close to the High Road where late at night you do get youths congregating. Bonfire Night for example it can be rowdy there. But at the other end it is very quiet and goes into the forest. It could be that he arranged to meet a group of young people there but by the time he arrived they could have dispersed. Not knowing the area he could have walked up Smart's Lane and easily got lost. The forest roads are not lit and are highly dangerous for pedestrians. Locals drive cars fast at night and only watch out for muntjac (a small deer) and deer. A pedestrian walking by the side of a forest road at night in dark clothing would be very hard to see and would put his life at risk. Loughton generally is a very safe area with little violent crime. I hope he can be found but many things are very odd about his tragic disappearance.

 

[Sundried]

It’s really not that strange to me to that someone would go to Epping Forest from W2 if they wanted to end their life. Yes there are other open areas closer but they are not so secluded, more chance of being interrupted by someone. Most people know of Epping Forrest and it’s expansive size, if that’s where Richard was heading with that intention he would probably know that there wouldn’t be anyone deep into those woods at night whereas in some smaller areas there might be. But, if that is what happened, I’m surprised that after a full day of searching nothing has been found. JMO.

 

[JnxT]

I had the same thought also about the danger of walking along those unlit roads at night. Locals know the roads well, know there's no-one around and drive really fast. I recall an incident from a few years back now with two young girls walking home from The Kings Oak (a pub in the middle of the High Beech area of the forest, not very far from where RO was seen) late at night. No pavement, no lights, and a fatal hit and run. Really really awful.
Family mourns hit and run girl

But highlights how dangerous it would be to walk there at night from a pedestrian vs. car perspective.