Found Deceased UK - Anthony Knott, 33, last seen at a pub in Lewes, Sussex, 20 Dec 2019 #2

[BodyOfWater]

Whilst I still think statistically AK ended up in water, I'm interested that a body hasn't been found despite the caveats of temperature etc.

Two thoughts -
1) with the increased flooding increasing the likelihood of someone being swept away, it also increases the likelihood of being swept into a floodplain or area water normally isn't. This would make a body more likely to be found. Though I'm unaware of the depth of search downstream, I will take it as a given it was very detailed.

2) If the body was swept quickly downstream then it would end up in the bay at Newhaven. I'm a Brightonian and familiar with the area; sadly I'm also familiar with the number of drownings at sea in Brighton and Westwards to Shoreham (Newhaven to the East of both) where the bodies end up at Newhaven due to currents. Doing my best not to be too macabre but bodies tend to wash up at sea quite readily, especially Newhaven.

So it does surprise me a little bit that nothing has turned up but it's far from being improbable for still being out there. From all the info on the water searches though it sounds almost certain that if he did go in he's unlikely to be in Lewes anymore.

Edit: correction of horrible "Brightonian" typo

It’s unfortunate his phone wasn’t switched on or we’d probably know where he got to.

Maybe he didn’t want people to know.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

I have seen two instances where incorrect information has been released. This is why an updated statement, perhaps conference & appeal is vital. There should be many more witnesses & with each day that ticks by, memories may fade & CCTV & dashcam footage may get wiped..

Can you elaborate on the incorrect info that was released by LE?

 

[Jules77]

Anthony and his friend Steve had plans to meet on the Saturday.

Did he always spend a lot of his free time away from home?

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Did he always spend a lot of his free time away from home?

It's a busy time of year, I doubt he's out every Friday and Saturday, having 4 kids at home.

 

[ZsaZsa]

Which less obvious areas would you suggest around Lewes?

I don't know the area at all but maybe locals can chip in. As the previous poster Spicegirl explained, one missing man was found (deceased) far outside the expected limit of searches. We obviously don't know all the details but just from public posts, MSM, it seems the searches have all been very close to the town. Just thinking.... Drones are becoming the go-to method of covering a lot of ground here. (USA).

 

[CoverMeCagney]

I don't know the area at all but maybe locals can chip in. As the previous poster Spicegirl explained, one missing man was found (deceased) far outside the expected limit of searches. We obviously don't know all the details but just from public posts, MSM, it seems the searches have all been very close to the town. Just thinking.... Drones are becoming the go-to method of covering a lot of ground here. (USA).

It would be useful if we knew in which directions Anthony could have walked without being on CCTV. The high street seems unlikely to me, there are banks and bookies which would have cameras as well as plenty of other shops. He didn't go back on himself, so did he walk down the back alley (Market Lane) to get back to the Lamb?

It's all a bit Corrie. Anyone checked the bins?

 

[BodyOfWater]

On a personal note I had a close encounter whilst out Sunday afternoon in Scarborough, UK. Walking down the steps midway at North Bay I decided to take a photo as the tide came in hitting what might have been the bottom steps accessing the beach. Thing is as I took the picture (which is too large to attach) without warning a wave came at me, covered me to the knees & I nearly lost my footing & would have gone in (non-swimmer). I also live on a canal & have seen all sorts.

So I know the dangers of water however I no longer believe Anthony had any contact with water based on a multitude of things that have been said.

 

[Ruthbullock]

It would be useful if we knew in which directions Anthony could have walked without being on CCTV. The high street seems unlikely to me, there are banks and bookies which would have cameras as well as plenty of other shops. He didn't go back on himself, so did he walk down the back alley (Market Lane) to get back to the Lamb?

It's all a bit Corrie. Anyone checked the bins?

A local person- possibly @Dogtopia said that the CCTV from the barbers was just past the turning or at the corner (and it certainly looks like that on google earth as well) and he didn’t look as though he was crossing and heading back to the lamb. If he then changed direction he would have appeared twice on the CCTV as he either needed to turn back or cross the road. @LewesLady what do you think?

 

[BodyOfWater]

It would be useful if we knew in which directions Anthony could have walked without being on CCTV. The high street seems unlikely to me, there are banks and bookies which would have cameras as well as plenty of other shops. He didn't go back on himself, so did he walk down the back alley (Market Lane) to get back to the Lamb?

It's all a bit Corrie. Anyone checked the bins?

I think I heard that the bin-collectors had been told to be more vigilant. I know commercial waste is weighed but not sure about your average wheelie-bin not that I think that he would have gotten in one.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

On a personal note I had a close encounter whilst out Sunday afternoon in Scarborough, UK. Walking down the steps midway at North Bay I decided to take a photo as the tide came in hitting what might have been the bottom steps accessing the beach. Thing is as I took the picture (which is too large to attach) without warning a wave came at me, covered me to the knees & I nearly lost my footing & would have gone in (non-swimmer). I also live on a canal & have seen all sorts.

So I know the dangers of water however I no longer believe Anthony had any contact with water based on a multitude of things that have been said.

I know North Bay very well and you wouldn't be the first to get swept in. Marine Drive often gets closed to vehicles because the waves wash over the railings. Were you near the man on the bench?

I would have assumed water for Anthony (as is very typical conclusion in our student towns) but he wasn't really near any obvious source. You'd think if he got anywhere near the river he'd have been seen on CCTV somewhere.

 

[BodyOfWater]

Can you elaborate on the incorrect info that was released by LE?

I’m unable to say without citing a source which is impossible to do so as it was talked about on local radio.

Neither are anything major but the timings need to be corrected. LE would need to clarify it.

 

[BodyOfWater]

I know North Bay very well and you wouldn't be the first to get swept in. Marine Drive often gets closed to vehicles because the waves wash over the railings. Were you near the man on the bench?

I would have assumed water for Anthony (as is very typical conclusion in our student towns) but he wasn't really near any obvious source. You'd think if he got anywhere near the river he'd have been seen on CCTV somewhere.

I was on the section with the steps just after the cobbles where the road curls It’s a shame I can’t attach the photo but it wasn’t nothing more than stupid behaviour on my part. I underestimated it.

Time after time when I park further down near the statue & cafe, I witness short kids hanging onto the rails as the waves hit with their paretnts/guardians obviously being unaware that they could easily get swept away. As you know they ignore the warning signs.

As for Anythony, I agree with you. Since we don’t believe it to be water, you have to assume he is alive somewhere as unlikely as it sounds. Murder hasn’t been spoken about but I think the only other answer is an accident someone has covered up.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

These are the timings I've jotted down from various MSM and police reports:

4:02 arrived Lansdown pub
4:03 popped out to make phone call
4:18 went out for cig
4:26 contacted Lucy
4:51 went out for cig
5:21 left with friends

7:16 left Lamb pub
7:19 passed E&C one way
7:21 phone switched off
7:37 passed E&C going back
7:41 outside HJ Hair on Market Street

Anything I can add / change / mark as tbc?

 

[Angleterre]

Usually *** pages are set up by external people rather than the family. Not always of course but often people want or need to feel like they’re doing something and money is often the only practical help they can offer.
Rightly or wrongly

Yes and this happened with this one too , set up y someone not directly involved but on the periphery and believing that they were doing the right thing but initially the fiancé and family, once aware, put it in on hold and it was only yesterday that I saw it reported that it was back up and running as the family wanted the option to employ a PI and this would enable them to do so. I get the impression that it was not an easy choice to make but ultimately born out of necessity...
My own opinion

 

[Walker78]

A local person- possibly @Dogtopia said that the CCTV from the barbers was just past the turning or at the corner (and it certainly looks like that on google earth as well) and he didn’t look as though he was crossing and heading back to the lamb. If he then changed direction he would have appeared twice on the CCTV as he either needed to turn back or cross the road. @LewesLady what do you think?

I think it's my post you're referring to and yes, the camera is almost directly opposite the corner of Market Lane. In addition to the fact that it looks like he is walking purposefully forward and there is no indication of him about to turn, I read something on Lewes FB that there was cctv in Market Ln that had been checked with no sight of Anthony. Another member on here said they had also read this info.

That is why I believe he had to have ended up in the Hight St. at the war memorial but where he went from there I can only hazard guesses I'm afraid.

One thing that has prompted my consideration over the last couple of days is his fiancee's reply to a question on her FB, saying that the police had checked all cctv at the station and are sure Anthony didn't get on a train. Also, she didn't know if the police had checked the bus company cctv, i.e. the police hadn't said, which I found surprising as surely that would be one of the most obvious things to check.

Also @Elainera asked about public toilets (sorry for the delayed response - back to work, etc!) which also got me thinking. As far as public toilets go, there's one just down from the Lansdown and before the station and one down by Cliffe High St. however I imagine they'd both have been closed at that time of the evening and personally, men especially are unlikely to seek one out, especially with so many pubs nearby where you can just pop in to use the facilities. Lewes is also not short of alleys and nooks and crannies for the more urgent calls of nature either.

The one place it's best not to get 'caught short' however is on a bus. If, for example AK had got on a bus in the High St. and made it out of town before realising he urgently needed to pee, he could have got off somewhere totally in the dark, isolated either between Lewes and Brighton (there's a couple of stops on the A27 away from built up areas) or if he accidently got on the bus going the other direction (Ringmer or Uckfield) he could have ended up out in the sticks.

This of course is merely a possibility rather than what I think likely but until the cctv evidence has ruled it out, it is in the scope of reasonable consideration.

 

[Walker78]

It would be useful if we knew in which directions Anthony could have walked without being on CCTV. The high street seems unlikely to me, there are banks and bookies which would have cameras as well as plenty of other shops. He didn't go back on himself, so did he walk down the back alley (Market Lane) to get back to the Lamb?

It's all a bit Corrie. Anyone checked the bins?

I'm guessing that the police may still not have receieved or reviewed all cctv in the High St. AK's SIL posted on Lewes FB page this evening asking for businesses to pass cctv on to them. Also, worth noting that cctv cameras don't always pick up both sides of the road or wide area around the property. The 19.41 Market St. footage being a good example. I still think it's entirely possible he could have gone either direction on the High Street and hasn't been picked up on camera or has, but it hasn't been seen by the police yet.

 

[Officer Dibble]

I saw this posted in the Mid Sussex Times on 29th December, 2019 in which they printed a new image released by Sussex Police claiming it’s AK.

It’s very confusing because this man is wearing white trainers?

Is this a mistake of the police, or has AK suddenly got hold of some trainers?

Crowdfunding page set up to support family of missing firefighter last seen in Sussex

Apparently some CCTV 'night vision' or whatever reverses the colour in some images

 

[Elainera]

Now is the first full business week since the Xmas/New Year holidays. Some people might just have come back from abroad and havn't even heard about Anthony being missing yet. I think it would be important that appeals for sightings of AK, any odd incidents from the night of 20/21 Dec, CCTV from businesses and dash cams, be repeated now by both LE and family via msm and sm.

Are there any private searches going on?

 

[BodyOfWater]

These are the timings I've jotted down from various MSM and police reports:

4:02 arrived Lansdown pub
4:03 popped out to make phone call
4:18 went out for cig
4:26 contacted Lucy
4:51 went out for cig
5:21 left with friends

7:16 left Lamb pub
7:19 passed E&C one way
7:21 phone switched off
7:37 passed E&C going back
7:41 outside HJ Hair on Market Street

Anything I can add / change / mark as tbc?

Have you got a source for him contacting Lucy?

 

[BodyOfWater]

The one place it's best not to get 'caught short' however is on a bus. If, for example AK had got on a bus in the High St. and made it out of town before realising he urgently needed to pee, he could have got off somewhere totally in the dark, isolated either between Lewes and Brighton (there's a couple of stops on the A27 away from built up areas) or if he accidently got on the bus going the other direction (Ringmer or Uckfield) he could have ended up out in the sticks.

This of course is merely a possibility rather than what I think likely but until the cctv evidence has ruled it out, it is in the scope of reasonable consideration.

A family member who works for Arriva says upon request they are duty bound to pull over where it is safe to do. Says on rural journeys it’s happened a number of times but it is a grey area where to stop if there are actually no public conveniences.