Our shock after being held for murder of son we lost 28 years ago
Parents are questioned on disabled man missing after trip to beach
ELDERLY parents arrested on suspicion of murdering their disabled son 28 years ago arrived at a police station yesterday.
Steven Clark, then 23, vanished mysteriously after going into a public toilet on a family trip to the seaside.
He was not seen coming out of the gents on the promenade in Saltburn, North Yorks, and did not return to the family home in nearby Marske-by-theSea on December 28, 1992.
His parents Doris, 81, and his dad Charles, 78, have been arrested on suspicion of murder following a cold case review into the disappearance.
They arrived at Kirkleatham police station on Teesside yesterday morning for further questioning.
Doris said she and her husband had been arrested on suspicion of Steven’s murder but had now been bailed.
She said: “We have been through 28 years of wondering every day what happened to him. So for it to come to this, it is a complete nightmare.”
Recalling the day he went missing, she said: “I never saw him again after I came out of the ladies.
“I stood directly in front of the exit, I was there for quite a long time, just wondering what had happened to him.
“People say why did you not go in? But you would not for a 23-year-old man.
“I got back and put the kettle on for a cup of coffee for him coming home. Charles went off to a football match.”
Doris reported Steven missing that day but the couple say she was told to
I got back and put the kettle on for him coming home. Charles went to the match
72 hours because he was 23 and could have gone of his own accord.
Although Steven had been injured in a road accident in Scotland when he was two, leaving him with a limp, he was still able to walk fairly quickly, Charles said.
He added: “A bad limp affected his walk, but he could have got quite a distance in a short time, we walked to Saltburn regularly. He was quick if he wanted to be. There was not a hint of any problems, honestly there was not.”
Charles, who worked in banking and served with Northumbria Police, said that they had not seen or heard from Steven since that day.
He added: “We are still looking for him. It is an utter mystery. Nothing has changed. We don’t even know if he is in this country, alive or dead.”
Steven also had a severely damaged left arm and had been unable to find work. His mother described Steven as a very sociable young man.
She said: “Obviously, he hated his disability. But he loved being out with people.” She said Steven enjoyed music, bowling and going out. The family lived in South Africa, before moving to Guildwait ford, Surrey, then Marske, where they still live. At the time he disappeared, Steven was attending the Rathbone Society in Redcar, which helped people with disabilities improve job skills.
The Clarks were back home last night after questioning by police, and said they had been bailed until October 12.
Det Ch Insp Shaun Page said: “Steven has been missing for 28 years.
“There is no proof of life, we believe that Steven has come to harm.
“The arrests are a significant development, but we are still appealing to the public for help.”
DORIS CLARK MOTHER OF MISSING SON STEVEN