Found Safe UK - Owami Davies, 24, from Chafford Hundred, Essex, last seen in Croydon, Surrey, 6 Jul 2022

[JuicyLucy]

This is a general response. I tagged it to your informative post. Hope you don't mind @JuicyLucy

I think it is of little relevance for the public to know when OD was last identified on CCTV.

The reality is the CCTV may not be great and could undermine the public recognising OD.

The CCTV on London Road from 7th July at approx 12:30, I recall, is great video of OD. That's all the public need to see along with updates of the general areas OD may be. It's purely for identification of OD. We don't need a running commentary of CCTV showing exactly where she was seen, how she looked, what she was doing etc.

I don't mind at all

And I'm sure that you're right in your analysis of the police perspective on this. But don't you think there'd be merit in 'keeping the flame alive' as it were? I think with all complex missing enquiries, there's always a risk of public fatigue. Owami's case had suffered from a tremendous lack of media and social media attention but in the last week that's really changed and the number of people who have seen her face has dramatically increased. Yet she still hasn't been found, and there must be a worry that interest will wane again before she is.

Without putting out low quality pics and without narrowing the focus in a way that ends up misdirecting the enquiry, I think it would be helpful, if at all possible, to put out a statement saying, e.g. that they think she may be travelling up and down to X, or that there's been a strictly unconfirmed sighting of her at Y, or that they have reason to think she may still have been alive on August the xxth.

I just think that in an enquiry where they're really relying on the engagement of the public, they need to get with the 21st century a bit in terms of how you use the media to keep everyone watching. Otherwise, now that everyone's had an opportunity to criticise the Met and tweet platitudes about BLM and how beautiful she is, they will get bored and move on imo.

 

[Alyce]

Snipped from Lucy's post above


Without putting out low quality pics and without narrowing the focus in a way that ends up misdirecting the enquiry, I think it would be helpful, if at all possible, to put out a statement saying, e.g. that they think she may be travelling up and down to X, or that there's been a strictly unconfirmed sighting of her at Y, or that they have reason to think she may still have been alive on August the xxth.


Completely agree with this - if they want the public's help, it would be far more sensible for the police to name the places they believe that Owami has been sighted.

 

[Konstantin]

I am wondering if Owami might be aware she is being looked for if she is in the same area of London, and her mental state is so bad that she is frightened of being found?

 

[Whitehall 1212]

I don't mind at all

And I'm sure that you're right in your analysis of the police perspective on this. But don't you think there'd be merit in 'keeping the flame alive' as it were? I think with all complex missing enquiries, there's always a risk of public fatigue. Owami's case had suffered from a tremendous lack of media and social media attention but in the last week that's really changed and the number of people who have seen her face has dramatically increased. Yet she still hasn't been found, and there must be a worry that interest will wane again before she is.

Without putting out low quality pics and without narrowing the focus in a way that ends up misdirecting the enquiry, I think it would be helpful, if at all possible, to put out a statement saying, e.g. that they think she may be travelling up and down to X, or that there's been a strictly unconfirmed sighting of her at Y, or that they have reason to think she may still have been alive on August the xxth.

I just think that in an enquiry where they're really relying on the engagement of the public, they need to get with the 21st century a bit in terms of how you use the media to keep everyone watching. Otherwise, now that everyone's had an opportunity to criticise the Met and tweet platitudes about BLM and how beautiful she is, they will get bored and move on imo.

I totally agree.

I was referring more to regular updates of unconfirmed sightings or releasing poorer quality images, possibly contentious images.

Keeping the public engaged is always key.

In that respect any confirmed updates of where she has been seen more recently and possibly any high quality, non-contentious CCTV is always helpful to keep the flame of public engagement alight.

 

[TheBishop]

When a person of one race looks at faces of ppl of another race, these faces seem almost identical.

I once read about American film where there was a scene with Asian baby - as "actor" baby was restless so the director decided to change the baby in the arms of the leading actress.
The scene was long and there were 3 babies as the director thought nobody would be any wiser (they seemed to look identical).

When the film premiered in Asia the audience was crying with laughter!

Sorry, I don't remember the title of the film.
MOO

I wish you could remember the name of this film - very interesting...

I live in London and was already thinking how rare it is to see a Black or Asian woman living as a homeless person on the streets. Many men of all ethnicities, but Black women living rough is still rare and would stand out. However, maybe as your comment implies, these women only stand out or catch my attention, because I am a Black woman too...

 

[Konstantin]

The Sunday Times has just now published a story about Owami.

Owami Davies: retracing the steps of the nurse who vanished

The reporters say they retraced Owami's steps to try to figure out what happened to her. Although they say they spoke to multiple sources, tbh they didn't really get very far and much of the detail in the story is taken from sources already published (I am surprised, you'd think they would have more from asking people on the roads where Owami was seen. THe house she was photographed outside is very easy to locate, why not knock on it and ask questions? But maybe a longer version of the story will be published later...) but they did add some detail to what has already been published.

They talked to the shop owner of the store where Owami appeared on CCTV buying some items, and they give one detail about one of the males arrested that I hadn't seen before (but others may well have already known this info from MSM)

After poring over thousands of hours of CCTV footage, the Met released images of Davies with an unidentified man on Derby Road, around the corner from the station, just after midnight on July 7. It is believed the man is one of two brothers in their twenties who live on the road. They were later arrested on suspicion of murder, before being released on bail.

Davies had visited the Nilgiris grocery shop and off-licence on nearby London Road earlier that night. The assistant who served her said she was alone. “She bought some drinks [alcohol] and water,” he said. “She paid in cash. I think I’ve seen [her] a couple of times.” Paying for items in cash, rather than by debit or credit card, would make Davies more difficult to track.

 

[Normal Norm]

I'm very late to the table on this particular case but, having read through 15 pages of them, i have to say that the quality of posts has been excellent. I hope there is a positive outcome.

 

[sds71]

Police saw student nurse on the day she vanished but didn't know she was missing

The Independent Office of Police Conduct received a referral from the Met after it emerged officers made contact with missing Owami Davies but didn't know she'd been reported as missing

www.mirror.co.uk

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Have the police confirmed whether OD uses an oyster card or travel pass of any type? If she travels frequently she surely must hold one and be using it?

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

I wish you could remember the name of this film - very interesting...

I live in London and was already thinking how rare it is to see a Black or Asian woman living as a homeless person on the streets. Many men of all ethnicities, but Black women living rough is still rare and would stand out. However, maybe as your comment implies, these women only stand out or catch my attention, because I am a Black woman too...

I live in C London and noticed a sharp increase in homeless and very vulnerable women on the streets lately, since covid restrictions lifted. I have been saddened to notice a few black and asian women that one would not normally see camped out on the pavements - it's not usual at all. I've also noticed all the crack and smack users and dealers back on the streets the last couple of months where they weren't so visible for a long time in my area.

I think women get alerted / reached out to and picked up by homelessness prevention teams and charities more quickly for obvious reasons and I personally alert 'Streetlink' when I can - it's worth having their app on phone.

 

[Whitehall 1212]

Have the police confirmed whether OD uses an oyster card or travel pass of any type? If she travels frequently she surely must hold one and be using it?

The police don't readily discuss all the investigative methods, that may or may not be in play, for the benefit of this and other enquiries.

 

[Konstantin]

I live in C London and noticed a sharp increase in homeless and very vulnerable women on the streets lately, since covid restrictions lifted. I have been saddened to notice a few black and asian women that one would not normally see camped out on the pavements - it's not usual at all. I've also noticed all the crack and smack users and dealers back on the streets the last couple of months where they weren't so visible for a long time in my area.

I think women get alerted / reached out to and picked up by homelessness prevention teams and charities more quickly for obvious reasons and I personally alert 'Streetlink' when I can - it's worth having their app on phone.

I have noticed the same--sharp increase in visible homeless people in general but yes also women. I assume that unfortunately this situation is only going to get worse as the cost of living crisis continues to escalate.

 

[OrangeCash]

Police saw student nurse on the day she vanished but didn't know she was missing

The Independent Office of Police Conduct received a referral from the Met after it emerged officers made contact with missing Owami Davies but didn't know she'd been reported as missing

www.mirror.co.uk

Confirms the photo of Owami is from Police bodycam footage

 

[martenwearer]

I wonder what OD was doing to make the person call the police about the “concerns of a woman’s welfare” and if she was with the people which have now been arrested…

 

[Dotta]

I wonder what OD was doing to make the person call the police about the “concerns of a woman’s welfare” and if she was with the people which have now been arrested…

I think it is an euphemism for being drunk/drugged.

Maybe she decided to live with a boyfriend.
A person her mother doesn't approve of.

She didn't want to be traced - paid cash only in off licence shop.

But what about her phone?
Does she use it?
Can't it be traced?

MOO

 

[Bluebear15]

Police saw student nurse on the day she vanished but didn't know she was missing

The Independent Office of Police Conduct received a referral from the Met after it emerged officers made contact with missing Owami Davies but didn't know she'd been reported as missing

www.mirror.co.uk

It's unfair for the paper to criticise the police for not taking her into custody, or taking her home imo.
She hadn't committed a crime so couldn't be taken into custody, and is 24 so doesn't have to go back to her parents if she doesn't want to.

 

[abc_sleuth]

View attachment 358786

Public Portal

Just a reminder of this post earlier in the thread - it appears that according to this poster, the bodycam footage was taken at 1:20am. The lights are probably on in the houses behind her due to noise disturbance (either that be just talking to the police, or if the police were called for any reason in particular).

 

[abc_sleuth]

Also, I really hate to say it, but OD's case is really paralleling with Gabby Petito's so far:
- Girl missing without contacting parents of previous whereabouts
- Police called to the scene & caught on bodycam
- Frequent travel makes victims difficult to trace

I know they're not identical, but it does show that the police (across the world) should really do more to help vulnerable women.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

I wonder what OD was doing to make the person call the police about the “concerns of a woman’s welfare” and if she was with the people which have now been arrested…

Maybe she was hanging out with people that locals know are very unsavoury characters and could see she's not one of the usual group?

 

[Alyce]

A missing person report was made to Essex Police by Ms Davies’s family on July 6

It has now been revealed that officers from the Met Police spoke to her later that night.

Footage - recently released by the Met of Ms Davies - was captured on an officer’s body-worn camera during the encounter and shows her looking dazed and worried.

Officers attended and called (the London Ambulance Service), but the woman stated she did not want assistance and left.

Owami Davies: Police spoke to nurse after family reported her missing, but let her go

The 24-year-old nurse has not been seen since July 7

www.telegraph.co.uk