UK UK - Lee Boxell, 15, Sutton (Outer London borough) , 10 September 1988

[sarrickuk]

I don't believe that Lee committed suicide. I appreciate that it's the biggest killer of young men and back in the 1980's feelings of that nature weren't shared as they are now, but I really don't get the feeling that he would have taken his own life. He seemed, by all accounts, to be somewhat of a level-headed teenager.

However, I do believe he never intended to go to watch Charlton play Millwall at Selhurst Park that afternoon as he suggested to his friend. Instead I believe that Lee was the victim of foul play in or around 'The Shed' the so called unofficial youth club at St Dunstan's in Cheam, run by the grave digger William Lambert. I believe that he dropped in there on the afternoon he went missing and was witness to something going on that would've been a crime. I believe that the perpetrator(s) of whatever it was he saw attacked him for what he had witnessed and either intentionally or accidentally killed him, then disposed of his body. I believe that there is still a veil of silence surrounding this - 36 years later - for one of four reasons;

1. The victim of whatever Lee witnessed is still too scared to speak for any number of reasons
2. The perpetrator(s) are still alive and are deliberately not speaking
3. The perpetrator(s) have since died and taken the secret with them to their grave(s)
4. The perpetrator(s) are already in prison for another (unrelated) crime; the likes of Brian Field who died in prison in February 2024 who murdered Roy Tutill from Brockham Surrey (not a million miles from Cheam) in 1968 but who was only convicted in 2001.

 

[greenwoodlad]

I don't believe that Lee committed suicide. I appreciate that it's the biggest killer of young men and back in the 1980's feelings of that nature weren't shared as they are now, but I really don't get the feeling that he would have taken his own life. He seemed, by all accounts, to be somewhat of a level-headed teenager.

However, I do believe he never intended to go to watch Charlton play Millwall at Selhurst Park that afternoon as he suggested to his friend. Instead I believe that Lee was the victim of foul play in or around 'The Shed' the so called unofficial youth club at St Dunstan's in Cheam, run by the grave digger William Lambert. I believe that he dropped in there on the afternoon he went missing and was witness to something going on that would've been a crime. I believe that the perpetrator(s) of whatever it was he saw attacked him for what he had witnessed and either intentionally or accidentally killed him, then disposed of his body. I believe that there is still a veil of silence surrounding this - 36 years later - for one of four reasons;

1. The victim of whatever Lee witnessed is still too scared to speak for any number of reasons
2. The perpetrator(s) are still alive and are deliberately not speaking
3. The perpetrator(s) have since died and taken the secret with them to their grave(s)
4. The perpetrator(s) are already in prison for another (unrelated) crime; the likes of Brian Field who died in prison in February 2024 who murdered Roy Tutill from Brockham Surrey (not a million miles from Cheam) in 1968 but who was only convicted in 2001.

I think this is a really good summary of what most likely happened to Lee. Someone knows what happened to him and that person is out there........

 

[greenwoodlad]

Also re the football narrative ...he was a football fan ...if he was actually intending to go to a match - would he not have worn a football shirt? - looking at photos of his room it looked to be full of football stuff inc shirts ..would he really have been going to a football match in a Fred Flintstone t shirt - I don't think so.....

 

[tes1984]

Also re the football narrative ...he was a football fan ...if he was actually intending to go to a match - would he not have worn a football shirt? - looking at photos of his room it looked to be full of football stuff inc shirts ..would he really have been going to a football match in a Fred Flintstone t shirt - I don't think so.....

If it was a match against Millwall, who had a feared firm of hooligans, then wearing civilian clothing might have been a smart idea.

For some reason I thought Lee was a fan of Sutton United FC, and was possibly heading to watch their match. Maybe I'm mis remembering things.

 

[dalsglen]

It was a Crystal Palace vs Millwall match.

 

[greenwoodlad]

All teenagers have secrets ...Lee had secrets ...I think there was a part of his life that his parents didn't know about clearly ....going to the shed - but interesting that he has friends that didn't know about this - and presumably he had friends at the shed ? a double life .....but the shed was a mistake ....but where is he .....I think he was placed in a recently dug grave or one where a burial has just taken place - the existing graves were never excavated.......

 

[StillDiggin]

37 years on since 'caring and considerate' Sutton schoolboy went missing

It's been 37 years since the disappearance of Sutton schoolboy Lee Boxell, who is yet to be found.

www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk

 

[Ellymoo]

I have just listened to a podcast about Lee. Why were the police not allowed to dig into the old graves? I mean, I understand it would have to be done carefully, but I don't understand why permission would be refused if there was a chance Lee was down there.

 

[kes1972]

Obvious to me the gravedigger, just find what grave/graves within the day or two of going missing, there cannot be that many he dug.

 

[kes1972]

I don't believe that Lee committed suicide. I appreciate that it's the biggest killer of young men and back in the 1980's feelings of that nature weren't shared as they are now, but I really don't get the feeling that he would have taken his own life. He seemed, by all accounts, to be somewhat of a level-headed teenager.

However, I do believe he never intended to go to watch Charlton play Millwall at Selhurst Park that afternoon as he suggested to his friend. Instead I believe that Lee was the victim of foul play in or around 'The Shed' the so called unofficial youth club at St Dunstan's in Cheam, run by the grave digger William Lambert. I believe that he dropped in there on the afternoon he went missing and was witness to something going on that would've been a crime. I believe that the perpetrator(s) of whatever it was he saw attacked him for what he had witnessed and either intentionally or accidentally killed him, then disposed of his body. I believe that there is still a veil of silence surrounding this - 36 years later - for one of four reasons;

1. The victim of whatever Lee witnessed is still too scared to speak for any number of reasons
2. The perpetrator(s) are still alive and are deliberately not speaking
3. The perpetrator(s) have since died and taken the secret with them to their grave(s)
4. The perpetrator(s) are already in prison for another (unrelated) crime; the likes of Brian Field who died in prison in February 2024 who murdered Roy Tutill from Brockham Surrey (not a million miles from Cheam) in 1968 but who was only convicted in 2001.

Exactly fond the grave he dug that night or yhe following day and that is where he is.

 

[Deadbeat]

Instead I believe that Lee was the victim of foul play in or around 'The Shed' the so called unofficial youth club at St Dunstan's in Cheam, run by the grave digger William Lambert. I believe that he dropped in there on the afternoon he went missing and was witness to something going on that would've been a crime. I believe that the perpetrator(s) of whatever it was he saw attacked him for what he had witnessed and either intentionally or accidentally killed him, then disposed of his body. I believe that there is still a veil of silence surrounding this - 36 years later -

This is also my belief. I think he dropped in at the shed on that Saturday and either witnessed something, OR had been told what was going on by one of the victims. I think he may have confronted the gravedigger or one of those perverts over this and was silenced. I recall reading he had a girlfriend who attended the shed too, if she was a victim and Lee either witnessed her being abused or she told him, he would have been angry for sure.

 

[Ellymoo]

His parents said Lee was very timid and quite immature (not in a horrible way) so it is perhaps more likely that he saw something.

 

[Deadbeat]

If he did attend the shed on that Saturday, I do find it odd that no one else in attendance that day has confirmed it though. I understand at the time they would have been frightened but all these years later I’d have thought they’d have at least said they saw him there.

 

[Bickles]

I wonder if threats were made towards other youngsters. After all his time they may be afraid to come forward, as they've withheld information for such a long time, and they might think they'd be in trouble with the law.

 

[Deadbeat]

“Detectives believe that Lee witnessed someone, probably a teenager, being sexually assaulted. It is believed that he either intervened to stop that assault or threatened to report it.

“Detectives also believe that he was subjected to an assault in order to stop him from identifying and exposing the suspect, and that this assault proved fatal.”

New appeal for information in case of missing youth-club boy

Lee Boxell disappeared 30 years ago after visiting an unofficial church youth club

www.churchtimes.co.uk

If detectives are correct, I’m thinking anyone with knowledge of what happened to Lee that day was sadly threatened, that the same would happen to them if they spoke out.

 

[Mrs Marple]

“Detectives believe that Lee witnessed someone, probably a teenager, being sexually assaulted. It is believed that he either intervened to stop that assault or threatened to report it.

“Detectives also believe that he was subjected to an assault in order to stop him from identifying and exposing the suspect, and that this assault proved fatal.”

New appeal for information in case of missing youth-club boy

Lee Boxell disappeared 30 years ago after visiting an unofficial church youth club

www.churchtimes.co.uk

If detectives are correct, I’m thinking anyone with knowledge of what happened to Lee that day was sadly threatened, that the same would happen to them if they spoke out.

This theory has been discussed at lengths over the years on this forum. I wonder if this has been suspected by the Met for some time or if they have new information.

 

[Ellymoo]

But surely that threat has gone now? They're adults. It would be understood that they were frightened as children.

 

[tes1984]

But surely that threat has gone now? They're adults. It would be understood that they were frightened as children.

They might have gone on to live 'normal' lives. Too scared to involve themselves in such a case now? Tough work explaining to your spouse/children/friends/colleagues as a 50 something why you didn't report a child murder.

 

[tes1984]

WL was 52 when Lee disappeared. The other arrested man was 26.

AFAIK a female who was 16, and a male who was 15 were also arrested. The female was also accused of indecency with children.

The recent appeal seems to have the the police asking the victim of the assault Lee supposedly witnessed to come forward, so I suspect a lot remains unknown regarding the youth club theory.