A hidden loft was discovered in Claudia Lawrence’s home 16 years after she vanished. Police missed it in the initial search.
She vanished in 2009. March 19th was the day she missed work. Her friends noticed she wasn’t at The Nag’s Head. They called her father since she didn’t answer.
The search cost over £1.5 million. Police found no trace of Claudia. They did not find the hidden loft either. Claudia’s mother and a podcast team found it.
Her mother, Joan Lawrence, is 81. They found the loft in her York home. It was during a recent visit. The home was dusty.
Joan described the loft’s entrance as tiny. It’s above the clothes in a wardrobe. Inside, you could see furniture. She never knew it was there.
Joan has lost faith in the police. She doesn’t want them searching the loft. She prefers Locate International to search it. She feels emotionally drained.
Her father, Peter, visited the property first. Friends called him in 2006. Peter died in 2021. It was one month before the 12th anniversary.
Police started two investigations. They considered it murder after five weeks. They found no body. Searches happened as recently as 2021. Police say they used a camera in the loft.