UK UK - Claudia Lawrence, 35, Chef, York University, 18 March 2009 #3

[Yozzer]

The attached image I believe shows a car that was seen a few times by the post office
It was also seen the day of 19th
As we know that Claudia didn't walk to work as she wasn't seen on camera-This shot looks like Claudia walking to work on a previous day and shows what looks to be Claudia?

Comments please

Here is a moving version. If you look around 2m 34s you will see the person in what looks like white/light jeans and a white shirt. It looks like a small male [imo] based on build, clothing and how he walks with hands in pockets - but could be a female. The silver car appears to slow and the figure heads towards it with purpose, so I assume is being picked up. The car is going away from the university towards Heworth and the person is on the opposite side to the pavement CL used on her way home on the 18th March.
Check out the character coming towards the camera at 2m 20s. Is that a left handed smoker wearing a hoodie?
Last known movements of Claudia Lawrence

 

[MajorLang]

@MajorLang
What do you think about the staircase though @Yozzer
Yes it has been known that there is a metal fire exit staircase at the rear which gives a completely separate access to and from the pub. From an aesthetic point of view, it is strange that they would expect their patrons to use it to access their rooms, particularly during winter months.

Yes-I wondered if there was a particular room that was accessible only in this way and would be ideal for use on 18th March 2009 ?

 

[MajorLang]

It looks like the person is wearing white knee length boots and a white shift dress - probs attempting the walk of shame

A bit Late in the morning (evening) For a lady of the .......! Unless that had done an all-nighter.

 

[MajorLang]

Here is a moving version. If you look around 2m 34s you will see the person in what looks like white/light jeans and a white shirt. It looks like a small male [imo] based on build, clothing and how he walks with hands in pockets - but could be a female. The silver car appears to slow and the figure heads towards it with purpose, so I assume is being picked up. The car is going away from the university towards Heworth and the person is on the opposite side to the pavement CL used on her way home on the 18th March.
Check out the character coming towards the camera at 2m 20s. Is that a left handed smoker wearing a hoodie?
Last known movements of Claudia Lawrence

Yes I see the one you mention as left hand they walk towards uni and then back past post box
I also see the other person on opposite side of road from post office and yes they are walking then change direction and approach the car.
I have to say that this behaviour could account for left hand seen talking a bit later at the Melrosegate generator station entrance near bridge.

My account of the CCTV is that the female approaching the car could well be a call girl (apologies @Pinkizzy for previously challenging this) and the left handed smoker was her Pimp.
It was just very late on a vice shift for this tonne happening but could also be drug related as the two professions are sadly entwined

 

[Mind your biscuits]

Good morning fellow Sleuths-Well-business takes me to the idyllic city of York this week and I thought that I might just seek out a nice local Pub and have a pint or two.

Does anyone have any recommendations for me and when I'm there what I should do also as I have seen all of the touristy things already like Jorvik and Railway museum.



I am being serious by the way....Please don't reply "We don't Know"

Clifford's Tower has a nice view. I took a side trip to Whitby when I was last there. It has a Bram Stoker Connection and the Abbey is lovely (on a nice day).

 

[Pinkizzy]

Yes I see the one you mention as left hand they walk towards uni and then back past post box
I also see the other person on opposite side of road from post office and yes they are walking then change direction and approach the car.
I have to say that this behaviour could account for left hand seen talking a bit later at the Melrosegate generator station entrance near bridge.

My account of the CCTV is that the female approaching the car could well be a call girl (apologies @Pinkizzy for previously challenging this) and the left handed smoker was her Pimp.
It was just very late on a vice shift for this tonne happening but could also be drug related as the two professions are sadly entwined

It looks like a man in a white top and white trousers

 

[MajorLang]

Clifford's Tower has a nice view. I took a side trip to Whitby when I was last there. It has a Bram Stoker Connection and the Abbey is lovely (on a nice day).

Thanks @Mind your biscuits But I was thinking more of an Agatha Christie type vacation to the Heworth area? If I find myself in the local hostelry what questions should I ask?

 

[Yozzer]

Thanks @Mind your biscuits But I was thinking more of an Agatha Christie type vacation to the Heworth area? If I find myself in the local hostelry what questions should I ask?

Are any of the old staff still there? That could be a question

 

[Pinkizzy]

Here is a moving version. If you look around 2m 34s you will see the person in what looks like white/light jeans and a white shirt. It looks like a small male [imo] based on build, clothing and how he walks with hands in pockets - but could be a female. The silver car appears to slow and the figure heads towards it with purpose, so I assume is being picked up. The car is going away from the university towards Heworth and the person is on the opposite side to the pavement CL used on her way home on the 18th March.
Check out the character coming towards the camera at 2m 20s. Is that a left handed smoker wearing a hoodie?
Last known movements of Claudia Lawrence

The man in a hoodie is probably a pimp and was spotted talking to a working girl (not Claudia) on March 19th

 

[MajorLang]

Are any of the old staff still there? That could be a question

It is a female landlady now and apparently she is pretty good and smartened the place up. I wonder if the new management and decor were authorised by "Lord of the Manor" Otherwise she may find her head in a concrete pillar and the Nags up for sale which may complete the property jigsaw?

 

[MajorLang]

The man in a hoodie is probably a pimp and was spotted talking to a working girl (not Claudia) on March 19th

Yes. It looked very much like a working girl and her Pimp. Such a strange hour though? probably on her way home?

 

[Yozzer]

The man in a hoodie is probably a pimp and was spotted talking to a working girl (not Claudia) on March 19th

Take another look at the man in the hoodie on the video walking towards the camera. Not the man walking towards the uni who is a slimmer build.
When he gets close to the cctv camera, you can see he appears to be wearing a white baseball cap and smoking with his left hand. I think he looks like the man in Tang Hall Coop who said he knew CL. Not sure if this is significant really but would be good to clear it up.

Tang Hall - man in Co-op said he Knew Claudia.

Last known movements of Claudia Lawrence

 

[Pinkizzy]

Take another look at the man in the hoodie on the video walking towards the camera. Not the man walking towards the uni who is a slimmer build.
When he gets close to the cctv camera, you can see he appears to be wearing a white baseball cap and smoking with his left hand. I think he looks like the man in Tang Hall Coop who said he knew CL. Not sure if this is significant really but would be good to clear it up.

Tang Hall - man in Co-op said he Knew Claudia.

Last known movements of Claudia Lawrence

Are you suggesting it's Mark Ford Thompson?

 

[MajorLang]

Take another look at the man in the hoodie on the video walking towards the camera. Not the man walking towards the uni who is a slimmer build.
When he gets close to the cctv camera, you can see he appears to be wearing a white baseball cap and smoking with his left hand. I think he looks like the man in Tang Hall Coop who said he knew CL. Not sure if this is significant really but would be good to clear it up.

Tang Hall - man in Co-op said he Knew Claudia.

Last known movements of Claudia Lawrence

Good spot I hadn't noticed that they were two different people. Do you think that it is strange that there were so many people around this area at this time of day?

 

[MajorLang]

Are you suggesting it's Mark Ford Thompson?

I think that the guy in the Tang shall Co-op was black from that cctv?

 

[Yozzer]

Are you suggesting it's Mark Ford Thompson?

I hadn't heard about him - is he the Tang Hall Co-op man? - but his history makes grim reading. And his loyal wife was a research and teaching fellow at York University. You couldn't make it up.

 

[MajorLang]

I hadn't heard about him - is he the Tang Hall Co-op man? - but his history makes grim reading.

Tang hall coop man was a black guy and a time waster.
I think you are thinking of the guy that @Pinkizzy mentioned-Mark Ford Thomas

 

[Officer Dibble]

Revealed: Missing chef Claudia's '40 different men' | Daily Mail Online

Who is this friend?

Has this article been taken down? I get a blank page...

 

[Pinkizzy]

Has this article been taken down? I get a blank page...

No, I can see it. Have you got enough memory on your phone?

 

[Officer Dibble]

@Pinkizzy I have summarised what this article says about Claudia. There are many clues in here of her behaviour and certainly shows a side of her that could well create a motive for someone to murder her:

A friend of 8 Years who described himself as one of her best friends said this about her:

Fantastic at her job and really hard working
Didn’t like to go front of house in restaurants as a chef because “Girls from Malton were there and I’m not very popular in Malton”
She had a house in Malton but her long term lover Mr McGinty of 10 years didnt move in with him and always suspected that he was cheating on her-This caused her to come to work sometimes in tears
Loyal and secret but secretive and insensitive

Became reckless with drink
Was undoubtably attracted to married men and got a kick out of it

Lovely girl who turned the charm on in a quiet way to draw attention to herself that always seemed to evolve around people who were with someone or married she saw it as a “Bit of fun”

Always secretive always texting and this came across to some as rather rude

The answer to Claudias behaviour lies in her drinking, she is a lovely girl but when drunk, other girls don’t like her. if you asked her out for a drink she would never say know.

She could be immature and bitchy and pull faces behind peoples backs

If she was out drinking, almost always she would return there that night as there were lock inns until 3-4 in the morning

She could drink six or seven pints of cider a night but had started to drink Vodka

Nags Head first searched on March 28th Took away mattress and sheets from One of bedrooms after the search must have been a further one then-George would put a bet on Ascot-18th to 22nd June

Hope that this helps and I have added to the Blog on Who was Claudia
Claudia Lawrence-Who Was She and Who Took Her?

I learnt quite a few things here, especially the consistency of alcohol. It mentions she was turning from Cider to Vodka. Could the answer to her disappearance be simple? Could she have been at a lock in (amongst the regulars), got drunk, put into a bed at the pub, vomited and choked on her vomit and those known to her panicked about the implications, rather than own up, panicked and disposed of her, all agreeing not to spill the beans? Could it be that simple? Just my own opinion.