Gaynor Lord search: Police say 30 people have come forward with information
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The heartbroken family have told friends of their pain as specialist divers found a body in the hunt for missing Norwich mother Gaynor Lord.
After a week of searching, Norfolk Police confirmed that the as-yet unidentified body was pulled from the River Wensum by underwater search teams on Friday morning. Police have said there is no evidence of third party involvement.
A post-mortem examination of a body found in the search for missing woman Gaynor Lord has found “no indications of any third-party involvement”, Norfolk Police said.
A family friend told The Times: “Gaynor’s husband Clive is totally lost.
“He doesn’t understand at all what’s happened.”
Gaynor’s daughter Charlotte, 24, also shared police appeals several times on social media. Her latest tragic update is confirming a body was found.
Chief Superintendent Dave Buckley, Norfolk’s county policing commander, said: “The post-mortem examination has found no signs that any other parties were involved.
“Although our searches have concluded, officers are continuing to work to establish the full circumstances surrounding Gaynor’s disappearance.
“We will pursue all lines of inquiry to understand why she went missing.”
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Final CCTV footage of mother-of-three before she went missing
Before Gaynor Lord went missing, CCTV documented her visiting a number of places after leaving early from her workplace.
The footage below shows her last known sighting before she disappeared.
The 55-year-old is seen walking along St Augustine’s Street, Norwich, at 4:01pm on Friday 8 December.
Gaynor Lord: Newly released CCTV footage shows mother’s last sighting before disappearing
Maira Butt17 December 2023 16:03
What happened to Gaynor Lord’s belongings?
Clothing, a mobile phone and glasses were found dispersed around the park 1.5 miles from her workplace in a department store. Her coat was found in the River Wensum itself.
Chief Superintendent Dave Buckley from Norfolk Police said the force had used sonar equipment across the river which was an “extraordinarily challenging environment” for them to work in.
Maira Butt17 December 2023 15:03
Gaynor Lord eyewitness says she saw ‘calm’ mother-of-three doing yoga pose in park before disappearance
An eyewitness who saw Ms Lord before she went missing has spoken out.
The witness says she saw the missing mother laying down her coat before performing what appeared to be a yoga pose. She said Ms Lord “appeared quite calm” although felt the action was “odd” for the time of day.
Gaynor Lord eyewitness who saw mother before she went missing speaks out
Maira Butt17 December 2023 14:03
In pictures: Body found and post-mortem examination conducted in Gaynor Lord search
A post-mortem examination conducted on Saturday ruled out any “third-party involvement” and police confirmed they were not treating the death as suspicious.
Police search teams worked to recover a body from the River Wensum
(PA)
Chief Superintendent Dave Buckley speaking to the media in Wensum Park, Norwich as specialist divers searching for missing mother-of-three Gaynor Lord have found a body in the River Wensum
(PA)
Wensum Park has now reopened
(PA)
Maira Butt17 December 2023 13:03
Video: Friend of Gaynor Lord details last call
A friend of missing Norwich woman Gaynor Lord has detailed the last phone call she received from her on the day she was last seen.
Ms Lord, a mother of three, was reported missing in Norwich last Friday 8 December after failing to return home from work.
Julie Butcher received a call from Ms Lord at 2.15pm that day but had to cut it short to speak to a client.
Speaking to Sky News on Thursday, Ms Butcher said: “I said could I call her back and she said ‘yes’.”
She later called Ms Lord but could not get through to her.
Ms Butcher said: “I wish I had never answered that call.”
Friend of Gaynor Lord details last call from missing mother
Maira Butt17 December 2023 12:03
Police: ‘We will pursue all lines of enquiry to understand why she went missing’
“Although our searches have concluded, officers are continuing to work to establish the full circumstances surrounding Gaynor’s disappearance.
“We will pursue all lines of inquiry to understand why she went missing.
“Our thoughts remain with Gaynor’s family at this incredibly difficult time.”
Police search teams work to recover a body from the River Wensum in Norwich (Joe Giddens/PA)
(PA Wire)
Maira Butt17 December 2023 11:03
Wensum Park reopened
It comes after a body was recovered in the River Wensum on Friday, a week after the mother-of-three went missing.
A post-mortem examination was concluded on Saturday and police are confident there was no third party involvement.
Maira Butt17 December 2023 10:02
Formal identification due to take place
Norfolk Police said that “formal identification is due to take place” on Sunday.
Chief Superintendent Dave Buckley, Norfolk’s County Policing Commander, said: “The post-mortem examination has found no signs that any other parties were involved.
“Although our searches have concluded, officers are continuing to work to establish the full circumstances surrounding Gaynor’s disappearance. We will pursue all lines of enquiry to understand why she went missing.
“Our thoughts remain with Gaynor’s family at this incredibly difficult time.”
Maira Butt17 December 2023 09:03
Gaynor Lord: Unanswered questions over mystery of mother who went missing
Was Ms Lord behaving out of character?
Leaving work was early was unusual for Ms Lord, friends and family have told the police. The force added they “can’t explain” some of the missing woman’s behaviour in the CCTV footage.
One witness saw the 55-year-old ‘practicing yoga’ in the park around the time she went missing.
Rosie Richards said she saw a woman fitting the Ms Lord’s description in the park last Friday.
“She was sort of putting her coat down on the floor and sort of performing a yoga pose. It just seemed a bit off at this time because obviously it was starting to get dark,” Ms Richards added.
Detectives searching for Ms Lord say they have not been able to establish Ms Lord’s state of mind when she went missing with “any degree of confidence”.
Her friend Julie Butcher said she seemed “fine” when they last met on Tuesday last week.
“We were talking. She was a bit busy but we were talking about Christmas and she seemed fine, no different to the usual Gaynor. She was quite upbeat and happy,” Ms Butcher told the BBC.
Maira Butt17 December 2023 08:23
No third-party involvement in death of woman found in river
Detectives investigating the disappearance of mother-of-three Gaynor Lord have said there is no evidence a third party was involved in the death of a woman whose body was found in a river during the search.
The 55-year-old vanished after leaving work in Norwich city centre early at 2.45pm on December 8.
Matt Mathers17 December 2023 07:00