Found Deceased UK - Richard Okorogheye, 19, Oxford Student, Ladbroke Grove, West London, 24 Mar 2021

[Sundried]

I think if he is not found today it’s unlikely that there’s been any kind of suicide.

The Breck Bednar murder has been in my mind since Richard went missing but I really hope nothing like that has happened to him.

 

[Skigh]

I think if he is not found today it’s unlikely that there’s been any kind of suicide.

The Breck Bednar murder has been in my mind since Richard went missing but I really hope nothing like that has happened to him.

Breck was a naive 14year old. Richard is 19 years old and, I imagine ,quite street wise.

 

[NorthernSoul]

Breck was a naive 14year old. Richard is 19 years old and, I imagine ,quite street wise.

I don't think we can entirely discount something like this having happened though. I'm assuming the car scam I mentioned a few comments above has taken in many people who would consider themselves competent adults. We're not sure just how streetwise Richard is - he may not be at all. My own son is just a couple of years older and he and his friends are gaming obsessed - it's a great way for a predator to make contact with people in what seems like a friendly community.

 

[sleuthheywood7]

My brother is around the same age as RO too - he’s can spend hours at a time on his play station and often plays with groups of friends or strangers that the game assigns - they talk through headsets. Especially during the last year with very little to do by way of socialising in person! As someone that grew up with a chronic illness as well - it can be isolating in itself - especially when you’re of school age and you feel like a lot of your peers don’t necessarily understand. This must have in many ways been hugely amplified by lockdown - especially for a person of RO’s age. JMO but I think there is a chance these factors make the possibility he went to meet someone more likely. MOO

 

[Marg from Oz]

It was an odd time to be meeting someone especially when he had to travel so far to get there. MOO

 

[sleuthheywood7]

I guess not so odd if he didn’t want his mother to know - especially since she works night shifts. This could have been amplified by the fact Richard was meant to be shielding - his mum may have been very concerned about him going out to meet people. JMO obviously.

 

[Sundried]

Breck was a naive 14year old. Richard is 19 years old and, I imagine ,quite street wise.

I don’t see your point regarding their age. Many of adults have been tricked/lured into their death

 

[KHA]

I am wondering why there is no update at all today..... not even to say that they are still searching Epping Forest. Is it because there is a breakthrough and it cannot be made public yet? Or is it actually just nothing? Usually you would see new photographs in the media showing the continued search....

 

[Howinthisdayandage]

I have a son just a few years younger who is an avid gamer and is always talking online. whilst we do not live in London, I wouldn’t say he is even streetwise for where we live.
I do wonder whether police have checked if he used to leave home when his mum was on night shifts before. Maybe this is something he has done on previous occasions and so wasn’t worried about being out later at night. Later at night also means less people about and this may have been something he liked if he has been shielding.

 

[sleuthheywood7]

I am wondering why there is no update at all today..... not even to say that they are still searching Epping Forest. Is it because there is a breakthrough and it cannot be made public yet? Or is it actually just nothing? Usually you would see new photographs in the media showing the continued search....

I was thinking that too - I hope people keep sharing on social media to keep the momentum up - it made a difference with SE. There have been no updates from LE at all today either which as you said seems odd.

 

[tedtink]

I guess not so odd if he didn’t want his mother to know - especially since she works night shifts. This could have been amplified by the fact Richard was meant to be shielding - his mum may have been very concerned about him going out to meet people. JMO obviously.

It seems from what RO's Mum said she feels they have a close relationship.
I also think that many kids that age are very conscious of their parents expectations of them, some children desperately try to meet those expectations even though they are struggling and there maybe a conflict of what they want to achieve and what is expected of them.
Although this may not be the case with RO, this can put a huge amount of stress on youngsters, especially if they are seen as intelligent by their parents and don't want to let their parents down.
Covid has been especially difficult for young people and RO's Mum said he was struggling with his studies, had been neglecting his personal hygiene, it's understandable to become 'institutionalised' in one's room and become quite vulnerable.
I wonder about other friends too, he doesn't seem to have social media, so possibly a modest lad. unassuming young man?
Maybe RO wanted a change of scene, spend some time with some internet 'buddies', TikTok mates, a little freedom and space like we all do and did at that age.

Clinically extremely vulnerable pupils and students were due to return to their school or other educational setting from 1 April 2021.

Maybe RO doesn't want to go back, has gone to meet someone he knows or 'thinks' he knows (which is the worrying aspect).

I hope he's found safe and well.

JMO

 

[sleuthheywood7]

Still no updates from LE - its been nearly 24hr since the last one. Seems strange but hopefully it means they have a strong lead or information that they are not ready to disclose to the public yet? Hoping it's this rather than the search being wound down without him being found? Would it be likely that a search of this scale would be wound down so quickly with no results?

 

[tedtink]

It seems from what RO's Mum said she feels they have a close relationship.
I also think that many kids that age are very conscious of their parents expectations of them, some children desperately try to meet those expectations even though they are struggling and there maybe a conflict of what they want to achieve and what is expected of them.
Although this may not be the case with RO, this can put a huge amount of stress on youngsters, especially if they are seen as intelligent by their parents and don't want to let their parents down.
Covid has been especially difficult for young people and RO's Mum said he was struggling with his studies.
I wonder about other friends too, he doesn't seem to have social media, so possibly a modest lad. unassuming young man?
Maybe RO wanted a change of scene, spend some time with some internet 'buddies', TikTok mates, a little freedom and space like we all do and did at that age.

Clinically extremely vulnerable pupils and students were due to return to their school or other educational setting from 1 April 2021.

Maybe RO doesn't want to go back, has gone to meet someone he knows or 'thinks' he knows (which is the worrying aspect).

I hope he's found safe and well.

JMO

I also think about the lack of winter clothing at that time of the day.
If he'd just got out of a warm taxi - was seen on his mobile phone (possibly to say I'm here now) and then expected to jump into another warm vehicle - I guess he wouldn't have needed a coat. (That's not too unusual though as my kids didn't bother with coats at that age!)

Due to the lack of other items he took with him, I can't see that he'd have expected to be gone for such a long time though.

A rather specific place to meet too, unless the other person(s) lives in that area (Loughton) or has traveled from afar, M11 ans M25 seem the closest major routes.

 

[sleuthheywood7]

I also think about the lack of winter clothing at that time of the day.
If he'd just got out of a warm taxi - was seen on his mobile phone (possibly to say I'm here now) and then expected to jump into another warm vehicle - I guess he wouldn't have needed a coat. (I guess that's not too unusual though as my kids didn't bother with coats at that age!)

Due to the lack of other items he took with him, I can't see that he'd have expected to be gone for such a long time though.

A rather specific place to meet too, unless the other person(s) lives in that area or has traveled from afar, M1 ans M25 come to mind.

I agree about the lack of winter clothing. If he knew he was meeting someone outside it seems strange not to take a coat. I guess if the other hypothetical person(s) live in the area but couldn't meet inside or at their home for whatever reason then they could have chosen a space outside where few people would likely be at night? Or if, like you said, they live far outside the area and it was in the most convenient location for all parties involved. Pure speculation of course and JMO.

 

[shadwell]

It seems from what RO's Mum said she feels they have a close relationship.
I also think that many kids that age are very conscious of their parents expectations of them, some children desperately try to meet those expectations even though they are struggling and there maybe a conflict of what they want to achieve and what is expected of them.
Although this may not be the case with RO, this can put a huge amount of stress on youngsters, especially if they are seen as intelligent by their parents and don't want to let their parents down.
Covid has been especially difficult for young people and RO's Mum said he was struggling with his studies, had been neglecting his personal hygiene, it's understandable to become 'institutionalised' in one's room and become quite vulnerable.
I wonder about other friends too, he doesn't seem to have social media, so possibly a modest lad. unassuming young man?
Maybe RO wanted a change of scene, spend some time with some internet 'buddies', TikTok mates, a little freedom and space like we all do and did at that age.

Clinically extremely vulnerable pupils and students were due to return to their school or other educational setting from 1 April 2021.

Maybe RO doesn't want to go back, has gone to meet someone he knows or 'thinks' he knows (which is the worrying aspect).

I hope he's found safe and well.

JMO

Hmm. It’s possible the looming end of shielding may have been a factor - the April 1st date was confirmed by the government on Thursday 18th March, with letters sent out to those shielding from that date advising of the changes:

Shielding advice for the clinically extremely vulnerable to stop from April

 

[Coach]

I haven’t seen any updates today. Does anyone feel that other recent cases when people are missing (such as Sarah Everard) were given far more coverage than this one?

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

We have one or two locals here, don't we? What's the scene like in the area today? Still many police?

 

[infinit]

Still no updates from LE - its been nearly 24hr since the last one. Seems strange but hopefully it means they have a strong lead or information that they are not ready to disclose to the public yet? Hoping it's this rather than the search being wound down without him being found? Would it be likely that a search of this scale would be wound down so quickly with no results?

I think they have something that is directing them somewhere else. It's the easter bank holiday and the 1st one since the restrictions have eased - Epping forest will get its fair share of foot fall over the next 4 days and you'd think they'd want to take advantage of that if they felt he was in there or there was evidence.

 

[Alyce]

In an interview with GCFRNG, his father, Christian Okorogheye described him as a tall and strong teenager who enjoys talking to his friend.

His father also blames his disappearance on depression following the lockdown and long stay at home.

“He is a tall strong man; he enjoys talking to his friends. At a point, he got cut off from his friends. Somehow, it happened that he met some people who we were not 100% sure about.

“It has been very devastating. I don’t know how to describe it but it is serious. All we want to do now is how to get him back and tell us his story.

“Richard has been on some kind of setting at home and I think that got him depressed in some ways. When you keep someone at home for like one month plus, and with all these things happening, it added to it. I think he got really fed up of the whole thing,” Christian Okorogheye told GCFRNG.





‘It Is Very Devastating,’ Father Of Missing Nigerian Teenager In London Calls For Help – GCFRNG

 

[sleuthheywood7]

I haven’t seen any updates today. Does anyone feel that other recent cases when people are missing (such as Sarah Everard) were given far more coverage than this one?

Yep I agree. I think the fact SE's family/friends were media savvy helped with the scale of the coverage, as well as certain other factors that I won't go into here. The SE case totally warranted the amount of coverage - and I guess since she had no history of mental health issues it was potentially clearer in the eyes of the media that there was a third party involved from the get go? Whether RO's disappearance is related to his mental health or whether there are other parties involved - it is a 19 year old that is vulnerable and his family have made it clear it is out of character - it should be receiving front page coverage to keep the momentum up and help with the search effort. JMO of course.