Six years on, police arrest a married father of two in Claudia murder probe
A 59-year-old man was arrested yesterday for the murder of Claudia Lawrence six years after she vanished.
The married father- of-two drank in the same pub as the missing university chef and lives within half a mile of her home in York.
The development came days after police released CCTV of a mystery man caught on camera walking towards the back of her terraced house on the evening she was last known to be alive.
Officers have been working on a ‘significant’ new line of inquiry focusing on the alleyway behind her home and yesterday’s arrest is believed to be linked to that investigation.
North Yorkshire Police have asked media not to identify the suspect for fear of compromising the inquiry at what they describe as a ‘critical phase’. The man was arrested yesterday morning and police moved into his semidetached house to carry out detailed searches and forensic inquiries.
Neighbours in the quiet cul- de- sac in a middle-class neighbourhood were surprised by the police activity. One said: ‘I know him, I’ve lived here for 20 years and he’s just a normal bloke. He’s lived here longer than me.’
The neighbour said he had recently lost his job working as a manager for a large firm.
Miss Lawrence, 35, returned home from work on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, and spoke to her parents separately on the phone that evening. She has not been seen since. Her father reported her missing on the Friday.
Despite a huge investigation police have failed to find a single clue to explain what has happened to her.
The suspect being questioned was one of many men who were spoken to at the time of the original police inquiry because he drank in the same pub as Miss Lawrence.
The landlady of a different local pub, who also knows the suspect, said yesterday: ‘He said the police spoke to him at the time, but he always made light of it. He said the police went to his house. He is a really funny, really nice guy who reads loads of books. He was very witty.’
Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn, who is leading the new police investigation, said no further details about the arrest would be released. He said: ‘I urge everyone to show restraint and patience while we carry out these very important inquiries.’ Police told Miss Lawrence’s parents Peter and Joan
‘He’s a funny, really nice guy’
about the arrest shortly before making the news public.
Yesterday Mr Lawrence, 68, a solicitor, said: ‘Any progress is good. It is encouraging to know that following all the media activity over the last three weeks… police continue to be active in seeking answers as to what has happened to Claudia. It is to be hoped the matter can be resolved as soon as possible and I encourage people to continue to come forward with information to the police.’
Jen King, one of Miss Lawrence’s closest friends, said: ‘Everyone wants closure, but they have already arrested two people and got nowhere.’
A 60- year- old man was arrested last year on suspicion of murder but was later released without charge. A 47year-old man remains on bail on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.
Mr Malyn took charge of the inquiry in 2013 and looked at all the evidence with a ‘fresh eye’. Since then police have carried out new forensic inquiries inside Miss Lawrence’s house – finding fingerprints of people they have not yet identified. Last month the inquiry took a twist when police carried out a detailed search of an alleyway behind Miss Lawrence’s home.
Mr Malyn said at the time his detectives were unravelling ‘lies and relationships’ in the missing woman’s life.
Last week police released CCTV footage taken at around 7.15pm on March 18 showing a man walking towards the rear of Miss Lawrence’s house. The camera picks him up returning about one minute later and he appears to be carrying a bag over his shoulder.
As he walks back to the main road he is seen to stop briefly as another man walks in front of him. Police appealed for information to identify both men and the arrest came five days later.