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

[Tortoise]

Police must know by now where Richard picked up the taxi. You'd think they'd release a little bit more information about that area, even if they still don't know exactly where he was in the hours between, to try and jog people's memories. Dash cam footage also could help. I wonder if there is sensitive information they have decided not to release, or if they really know nothing.

 

[tedtink]

Being tech savvy and due to age, imo he'd use his phone for everything including his personal SM accounts and messaging as most teens do.
He doesn't seem to have any SM in his name, which isn't unusual these days.
Like you say FB is seen as old skool and is not used, or there's dormant accounts, but not in RO's case.
Lot's of teens have 'finsta' accounts, (fake insta) which are used for close friends,
TikTok and Whatsapp.

Most only use a laptop only for college work or for work purposes.

LE may obtain some game chat from gaming devices, but I suspect most, if not all chat, would be on his mobile, or mobiles, if we include a second sim.

LE have tracked him as far a Loughton, unless someone is willing to 'talk' about those 'missing hours', coupled with arrangements presumably being made on RO's phones(s) I fear LE will sadly come to a dead end quite quickly with this case.

JMO

 

[Skigh]

Being tech savvy and due to age, imo he'd use his phone for everything including his personal SM accounts and messaging as most teens do.
He doesn't seem to have any SM in his name, which isn't unusual these days.
Like you say FB is seen as old skool and is not used, or there's dormant accounts, but not in RO's case.
Lot's of teens have 'finsta' accounts, (fake insta) which are used for close friends,
TikTok and Whatsapp.

Most only use a laptop only for college work or for work purposes.

LE may obtain some game chat from gaming devices, but I suspect most, if not all chat, would be on his mobile, or mobiles, if we include a second sim.

In several reports it has stated that the Police were examining his laptops and computers. Unless it was a mistake,it sounded as if he had a few devices as well as his phone(s).

 

[Paige Franklin]

It's one thing having a bolt on the inside of your door to allow privacy when inside - Having an actual lock to lock it when you're not inside I personally find a bit more unusual.

I just moved to a rental unit newly built in the last 2 years. It has locks on all 3 bedroom doors. The kind with just a tiny hole on the outside. I considered the locks quite a bit at first since my children are younger and I wondered how they would use them. They haven't much except when trying to keep the other out. But I realized with high price of housing here lately there seem to be more roommate scenarios. So rental properties may consider this when building and I could see the privacy option being attractive to roommates.

 

[tedtink]

In several reports it has stated that the Police were examining his laptops and computers. Unless it was a mistake,it sounded as if he had a few devices as well as his phone(s).

Yes I've seen "Laptop and computer" in some articles and plural "laptops and computers" in others.
Need to find the original quote.

Richard Okorogheye: 'No activity' on missing student's phone, says Met

 

[tedtink]

I'm hoping RO has gone off innocently to meet some new mates, due to being couped up for so long.
He probably didn't want his Ma to know as he would have been theoretically breaking the law due to Covid restrictions and was risking his health too. (He's a good boy his Mum says)
Perhaps he thought he's stay a night or two and his Mum wouldn't report him missing.
Now he's embarrassed to come forward due to the mass Police searches etc. Every day would make it harder to call, hence the Police appeal this morning.

Like I say, this is my hope, not necessarily what I believe

 

[annpats]

The police dont make freudian slips in prepared statements. The wording will have been very carefully crafted.

I see. My mistake. I presumed this was from a police spokesperson speaking to the cameras, I didn't know it was from a written statement.
(Although to note, the police do make slips, though perhaps just not Freudian ones?)

 

[HongKongPhooey]

I see. My mistake. I presumed this was from a police spokesperson speaking to the cameras, I didn't know it was from a written statement.
(Although to note, the police do make slips, though perhaps just not Freudian ones?)

Whether written or spoken, they will still have carefully planned beforehand what would be released to the press.

 

[annpats]

FB is seen as old skool and is not used...lots of teens have 'finsta' accounts, (fake insta) which are used for close friends,
TikTok and Whatsapp.

I've never felt old and out of touch before, but I'm feeling it a bit now!

 

[IainD]

Yes I've seen "Laptop and computer" in some articles and plural "laptops and computers" in others.
Need to find the original quote.

Richard Okorogheye: 'No activity' on missing student's phone, says Met

Yeah it's getting a bit confusing from one article to an other, here's two quotes from an article from a couple day's ago and there using plural for the laptops, computers and phones.

"So into his financial activity, that's still a valid line, and there are a number of inquiries in and around his laptops and his computers which are currently at a laboratory being examined to see if there are any other indications or lines we can follow up."

Asked if there had been any recent activity on Mr Okorogheye's mobile phones, Mr Gosling added: "As far as we can tell at the moment, there's been no activity on those that we're aware.
Richard Okorogheye: Missing student seen walking from taxi checking his phone after cab ride from London to Essex

 

[NorthernSoul]

I'm hoping RO has gone off innocently to meet some new mates, due to being couped up for so long.
He probably didn't want his Ma to know as he would have been theoretically breaking the law due to Covid restrictions and was risking his health too. (He's a good boy his Mum says)
Perhaps he thought he's stay a night or two and his Mum wouldn't report him missing.
Now he's embarrassed to come forward due to the mass Police searches etc. Every day would make it harder to call, hence the Police appeal this morning.

Like I say, this is my hope, not necessarily what I believe

I was thinking something along these lines could be possible as well; maybe planning to come home but enjoyed himself a bit too much and ended up staying, thinking it wouldn't be all that much of a problem, his mum would just be angry. Then sees himself in the news. Maybe reports of his laptops being examined worry him as there is info on there about things his mum knew nothing about or even something he thinks the police will not like and so now he is worried what will happen if he comes back so he is laying low at his friends.
I know my son has wandered in hours late before when we have been on tenterhooks wondering where he is and has been totally surprised we were concerned, just forgot to tell us what he was doing.
Like you, I think this is possible and would be the best case scenario but after all of this time I think it's unlikely he wouldn't have realised the seriousness of the situation and that the best thing to do would be to go home.

 

[annpats]

I would not be surprised at all to find Richard used a VPN service to keep his web browsing private, something like Proton for email and Signal or Telegram for messaging. I bet he's keeping their forensic computing analysts extremely busy!

Would the police forensic computer analysts be able to find anything on these encrypted accounts? Do they have ways? I'm guessing probably not....as they are safe, secure and encrypted for a reason.

 

[TheTruthWillOut]

Yeah it's getting a bit confusing from one article to an other, here's two quotes from an article from a couple day's ago and there using plural for the laptops, computers and phones.

"So into his financial activity, that's still a valid line, and there are a number of inquiries in and around his laptops and his computers which are currently at a laboratory being examined to see if there are any other indications or lines we can follow up."

Asked if there had been any recent activity on Mr Okorogheye's mobile phones, Mr Gosling added: "As far as we can tell at the moment, there's been no activity on those that we're aware.
Richard Okorogheye: Missing student seen walking from taxi checking his phone after cab ride from London to Essex

FWIW here is the video where he refers to the laptops, computers and phones: Richard Okorogheye: Student took taxi from London to Essex

 

[tedtink]

FWIW here is the video where he refers to the laptops, computers and phones: Richard Okorogheye: Student took taxi from London to Essex

Thank you.
(Sorry this is up thread too, just noticed )

So he also says "Well at the moment the phones, are still a key line of enquiry as I say, but as far as we can tell at the moment, there's been no activity on those that we're aware of."

 

[dotr]

Richard Okorogheye's disappearance highlights need to include Black men in mental health conversation
''It is likely that Richard Okorogheye has felt isolated during the pandemic, like many of us, this past year has been a difficult and trying time. We don’t know if Richard reached out to anyone for any support, but what we do know is that there are strong and deep-rooted social stigmas when it comes to the mental health of Black men.

The pandemic is a very tangible reason as to why Richard may have been suffering from depression. In stark contrast, when it comes to young Black men across society there are many more invisible barriers to their mental well-being. The impact of being a Black male in the UK is not entirely easy or linear. In many subtle and unsubtle ways, as a Black male in the UK – you are at increased risk of institutional and societal racism that presents itself in defined and undefined ways.''

 

[IainD]

FWIW here is the video where he refers to the laptops, computers and phones: Richard Okorogheye: Student took taxi from London to Essex

Yes, I've seen the plural being used a few time now, so I'm going with Richard has more than one laptop, computer and phone from now on...

 

[Commoner]

I don't know how this is relevant but most universities finished for easter this week - the break is usually a month. I looked on the Oxford Brookes website and their term finished on March 26th, so not too long after he disappeared. Again I don't know how this is relevant but thought worth mentioning. MOO

It may not be relevant. Many courses were online and students not present near their universities (see many articles in MSM about unfairness of needing to pay for unused accommodation). And he was required to shield, which means he should not have been attending in person

Though I suppose old school friends who had been at other courses elsewhere might have been newly returned to London. Though of course school friendships might have been a bit disrupted too - assuming not gap year, they all left precipitately in March 2020 and there have been huge limits on gatherings ever since

And people who were asked to shield would have received their 'deshielding' letters by about the time he went missing, confirming that the regime ended on 31 March. So JMO prempting the end of shielding by a few days would perhaps not seem such a big deal.

His health might the reason to use an Uber or similar - better to be with one person, in a car with windows open, than to be down the Tube with many.

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

EverythingEppingForest (@eefnews) tweeted at 1:02 pm on Sat, Apr 03, 2021:
PICTURES: @LONDONSARUK in Epping Forest, off Earl's Path, Loughton, this morning as search goes on for teenager Richard Okorogheye.
Police horses and search dogs have been off Baldwins Hill this morning.

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

MPS Westminster (@MPSWestminster) tweeted at 1:31 pm on Sat, Apr 03, 2021:

Officer’s from Westminster on the ground in Loughton assisting with the search for missing person Richard Okorogheye. Anybody with any information that may assist are urged to call or text 116000 https://t.co/nKDcIeaqU5

(https://twitter.com/MPSWestminster/status/1378324181947969536?s=03)

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

The one thing we can say for certain, is that he had an intent and purpose for going to Loughton/Epping Forest late on the night of March 22. Whether he went there of his own volition, or was coerced there by others, we don't know.