UK UK - Sarah Everard, 33, London - Clapham Common area, 3 March 2021

[Cardgame]

Couple of thoughts about London where I have lived for 20+ years

1. the parks during the day are a very different prospect to at night. While you might exercise there, picnic there, hang out there during the day, doing so AFTER DARK is not the same thing, me personally I would not do that. Never have, never would. Not even to take a shortcut, not even with a friend. Maybe others who live here think different?

2. I don't agree that we have clear evidence SE was a 'risk taker'. Walking home alone at 9pm isn't 'risky'. We aren't talking 4am. Yes, cutting through the park after dark would be risky IMO. But we don't know she did that, do we? We don't know she entered the park of her own free will, or even at all for certain. A phone ping isn't that specific is it? It's just a potential on her route and if the police are searching there then the fact that she could be there now doesn't mean she went there on purpose.

3. Having said that, if a young woman's boyfriend knew she was walking home alone after dark ANYWHERE through south west london I would expect him to demand a text to make sure she got home ok. What about a goodnight text? A good morning text? But everyone's relationship is different I suppose.

I'm not sure I've said anything clear there at all. Just some speculative thoughts.

 

[Froggypizza]

we don't know the situation she was due to meet up with her boyfriend the next day but all I know is I would not be 100% comfortable that my girlfriend was walking the street at night time alone

I’m a girlfriend in this situation, I live on my own, as a compromise for my partner and friends we all have each other on ‘find friends’ on our iPhones. This means there’s no need for the ‘I’m home’ message as we can follow each other on the map. That only shows where you are at that point in time, but I wonder if it has a history hidden in it somewhere, i know it’s a long shot, but if Sarah is a Find Friends user and if that could be accessed from a device Sarah had left at home that might show her route

 

[ElizaKate]

I’m not sure of her personal circumstances or living arrangements, but I find it very strange that nobody reported her missing for such a long period of time? Did no one check in with her or expect texts or phone calls. I’m wondering about the boyfriend in particular?
Overall, given the very basic facts we know, walking alone in a very dark secluded area with headphones in, feels like it left her in a very vulnerable situation.

I don't think it's that long at all. I live alone and wouldn't really question not speaking to someone for 24 hours tbh.
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I also wouldn't think twice about walking around my own town at 21:00. It's not that long a journey and it's not that late.

 

[Parmalade]

I'm not tech savvy so when they say Cavendish Road is the last 'ping' or whatever of Sarah's phone, what does that mean? A phone mast ping has a much wider area so is that a Google map location thing or something?

A phone pings a cell mast/tower when it connects to it, usually the nearest one to the location of the phone at the time. It’s what gives you reception/signal. If you move away from one tower but are yet to reach close enough proximity to another, that’s when your signal strength depletes until you can connect to the next closest tower and the old tower “hands off” your phone’s connection to the new tower. By the same token, triangulation is trying to place a location using pings on nearby multiple masts within a certain timeframe.

 

[JosephineRobert]

Couple of thoughts about London where I have lived for 20+ years

1. the parks during the day are a very different prospect to at night. While you might exercise there, picnic there, hang out there during the day, doing so AFTER DARK is not the same thing, me personally I would not do that. Never have, never would. Not even to take a shortcut, not even with a friend. Maybe others who live here think different?

2. I don't agree that we have clear evidence SE was a 'risk taker'. Walking home alone at 9pm isn't 'risky'. We aren't talking 4am. Yes, cutting through the park after dark would be risky IMO. But we don't know she did that, do we? We don't know she entered the park of her own free will, or even at all for certain. A phone ping isn't that specific is it? It's just a potential on her route and if the police are searching there then the fact that she could be there now doesn't mean she went there on purpose.

3. Having said that, if a young woman's boyfriend knew she was walking home alone after dark ANYWHERE through south west london I would expect him to demand a text to make sure she got home ok. What about a goodnight text? A good morning text? But everyone's relationship is different I suppose.

I'm not sure I've said anything clear there at all. Just some speculative thoughts.

I live in London and I agree with all you've said. I do think as the partner or the friend who she'd been with I would expect an 'I got home safely text'. However when I think about it honestly I'm not sure I would've called the police until the next day either.

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

I’m not sure of her personal circumstances or living arrangements, but I find it very strange that nobody reported her missing for such a long period of time? Did no one check in with her or expect texts or phone calls. I’m wondering about the boyfriend in particular?
Overall, given the very basic facts we know, walking alone in a very dark secluded area with headphones in, feels like it left her in a very vulnerable situation.

I've just spotted this from Sky News (BBM):

Shortly after the phone call ended at 9.28pm, her friends believe that something happened to her. They were unable to contact her on Thursday when they notified the police at about 8pm.

So Sarah had been missing for nearly 24 hours when she was reported missing by her friends. Wonder why her partner didn't report her missing?

 

[martenwearer]

It will be interesting to see how she made her way to her friends house and how long she was there.. straight from work possibly?

Also in the cctv still outside Sainsbury's it looks like she is on the phone. I wonder who she was talking to? Assuming this wasn't the 15min call with her partner

 

[martenwearer]

Police release CCTV footage of missing Sarah Everard

"CCTV footage released" - anyone subscribed to the telegraph and could confirm if this is footage or the still image?

 

[Parmalade]

It will be interesting to see how she made her way to her friends house and how long she was there.. straight from work possibly?

Also in the cctv still outside Sainsbury's it looks like she is on the phone. I wonder who she was talking to? Assuming this wasn't the 15min call with her partner

I agree - trying to find CCTV of her route after the Sainsbury’s might suggest a return route to check. But maybe some establishments’ footage has now been recycled. And my understanding is the wine purchase occurred prior to SE attending her friend’s house, whereas the last call to her partner occurred 15-30 mins after she had departed, depending on whether 9:28pm was the end or start of that call. I’m sure the police will be or have interviewed both the friend and the partner as the last to have seen and spoken to her prior to her disappearance.

 

[Catdetective]

I don't think it's that long at all. I live alone and wouldn't really question not speaking to someone for 24 hours tbh.
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I also wouldn't think twice about walking around my own town at 21:00. It's not that long a journey and it's not that late.

Me too. Particularly after a glass of wine or two. Alcohol tends to make me feel invincible and walking round at 9pm doesn't feel as risky as wandering around in the early hours of the morning.

 

[JosephineRobert]

A phone pings a cell mast/tower when it connects to it, usually the nearest one to the location of the phone at the time. It’s what gives you reception/signal. If you move away from one tower but are yet to reach close enough proximity to another, that’s when your signal strength depletes until you can connect to the next closest tower and the old tower “hands off” your phone’s connection to the new tower. By the same token, triangulation is trying to place a location using pings on nearby multiple masts within a certain timeframe.

Thanks for answering. There aren't multiple cell masts in Central London though are there? So how could Cavendish Road be pinpointed? Sorry, I know this isn't a cell tower switchboard!

 

[ElizaKate]

I wonder who she was talking to? Assuming this wasn't the 15min call with her partner

Wondered this too. This CCTV image is her visiting Sainsburys Local to buy wine on the way to her friend's house so we know it's not the 15 min phone call with her partner on her way home.

 

[tedtink]

Police release CCTV footage of missing Sarah Everard

"CCTV footage released" - anyone subscribed to the telegraph and could confirm if this is footage or the still image?

It's the image we already have of the Sainsbury's visit.
Nothing new to report from the article, sadly.

 

[Skigh]

Yes unfortunately it does. I also spotted few of us from the Libby Squire thread here @Skigh ?

I did not expect to see so many familiar faces so soon after the Libby trial. So very sad that we are now discussing another missing girl.

 

[Bonjoy]

Thanks for answering. There aren't multiple cell masts in Central London though are there? So how could Cavendish Road be pinpointed? Sorry, I know this isn't a cell tower switchboard!

I would estimate there are probably over 1000 cell masts in central London.

 

[Parmalade]

Thanks for answering. There aren't multiple cell masts in Central London though are there? So how could Cavendish Road be pinpointed? Sorry, I know this isn't a cell tower switchboard!

No problem, I’m far from any sort of expertise on it but happy to pass on my understanding if it helps. I think there are multiple masts all over, with ranges usually up to a few miles at most, especially in populous places like cities. It’s why there is a suggestion that the Clarence Ave mast ‘ping’ could be the phone connecting in Clapham Common, but I think that puts SE walking through the Common incredibly slowly unless she didn’t actually leave her friend’s until a little later than 9pm, and also I wouldn’t be surprised (I don’t know for sure though) if there’s another mast nearer Clapham Common than Clarence Ave.

 

[audge86]

Wondered this too. This CCTV image is her visiting Sainsburys Local to buy wine on the way to her friend's house so we know it's not the 15 min phone call with her partner on her way home.

Perhaps the friend to ask what she should bring?

I wonder if her phone died. We know she was talking on it quite a bit. Probably worked all day, used it for music on the walk to her friend's house, talked to her partner, then more music on the way home. She may be nowhere near the last ping if her battery just died on her.

 

[tedtink]

Perhaps the friend to ask what she should bring?

Agree - I thought that too, red wine or white or do you need anything from the supermarket?

 

[Perodicticus potto]

People keep referring to her "boyfriend" on this thread, but all the media reports I've seen have only used the term "partner." Has anyone confirmed the partner is male?

<modsnip>

 

[Audiohoney]

We don't know if she lived alone or not.
LE said that they did not know whether she actually arrived home that night.

But as we saw in the Libby Squire case, she lived with housemates and they didn't notice she wasn't there until the next day.

The Libby Squire case was what first brought me to websleuths. Not that it’s specifically relevant here, but just to correct you .. housemates did in fact realise LS was missing the same night because she hadn’t text them to confirm she was home safely. They reached out to another housemate who confirmed she wasn’t in her room and the search began right away. The night out was Jan 31 and friends began searching in the early hours of Feb 1. The police search began in daylight.

Thinking back to nights out in my thirties .. we always had an arrangement as friends that we’d text one another when we arrived home if we were walking or getting a taxi alone. I’m surprised SE’s friends or partner weren’t concerned sooner because I would’ve thought they’d say ‘message me to let me know you’re home safely’. But she’s a grown woman and perhaps they were already asleep by the time she was due home.

I live alone and it could easily be days before anybody realises I’m missing, that said, if I was walking home in the dark from a night at a friends I think they’d worry that I hadn’t confirmed I’d made it back safely.

Like others have said, I think SE was walking because 50mins to someone fit and healthy doesn’t seem that far. She was in her fitness gear. Fresh air sometimes feels safer - Covid wise - than public transport. That all seems perfectly understandable. But to me her disappearance sounds very out of character.