Grief of Gaynor Lord’s daughter as she shares news that a female body has been found in river in search for her missing 55-year-old mother
- Police say they do not believe a third party was involved in her disappearance
Gaynor Lord’s daughter took to social media to confirm the tragic news that a woman’s body had been found in the search for her missing mother last night, as the community comes together in mourning.
Clothing brand owner Charlotte Lord shared the update from Norfolk Police after specialist divers made the tragic find in the River Wensum in Wensum Park, Norfolk on Friday.
Mrs Lord, 55, was last seen walking out of her place of work at Jarrolds department store over an hour before her shift was due to end and dashing through Norwich city centre on December 8.
Possessions including her rings, mobile phone and clothing were found in a park in the city hours later, while her coat was in the nearby river.
Friends were quick to offer their support to Ms Lord, with one writing: ‘I am so sorry to read this Charlotte. Have been thinking of you and your family non-stop the last few days.’
Clothing brand owner Charlotte Lord shared the tragic update with friends on Friday
The mother-of-three (pictured) walked out of her workplace over an hour before her shift was due to end and hurried through the streets of Norwich
A second said: ‘No words. Just so sorry and sending much love to you and your family.’
A childhood friend added: ‘So sorry to hear this Charlotte. We all have really fond memories of spending time with your family growing up. Thinking of you all.’
It came as friends of Mrs Lord’s husband Clive told the Times he has been left ‘totally lost’ by the discovery.
‘He doesn’t understand at all what’s happened’, they added.
And Julie Muddel, who is married to Mrs Lord’s first husband, Paul, said: ‘My stepson told me Gaynor was the best she had been for a long time. She loved her job, she absolutely loved it. She was making new friends, and she was the happiest she’d been for a long time.’
Local MP Clive Lewis also commented on the discovery, saying: ‘This is awful news whether it’s Gaynor they’ve found or not. Someone has lost their life and their loved ones will be in pieces. My heart goes out to them, and I wish them comfort and strength.’
Confirming the news, a Norfolk Police spokesperson said: ‘Specialist divers from Lincolnshire Police’s underwater search team found the body of a woman in the River Wensum this morning following several days of detailed and methodical searches.
‘Formal identification is yet to take place but Gaynor’s family were immediately informed of developments and continue to be supported by specially trained officers.’
A post-mortem is due to be carried out, but police say at this stage they have no evidence of any third-party involvement and do not believe Mrs Lord met anyone prior to entering the park.
Police search teams on the River Wensum in Wensum Park, Norwich, on Friday
Gaynor Lord was last seen on December 8 as she left work early from Norwich city centre
Chief Superintendent Dave Buckley said that Mrs Lord’s case remains a missing person’s inquiry and they do not believe she met anyone on the way to Wensum Park, where her belongings were found exactly a week ago.
He said: ‘While we establish the woman’s identity, our thoughts remain with Gaynor’s family at this difficult and distressing time. We have specialist family liaison officers supporting and keeping them updated with our work.
‘We remain open minded to the circumstances surrounding Gaynor’s disappearance and will continue to pursue lines of enquiry to understand why she went missing. I am keen to say this remains a missing person investigation.
‘We’ve been able to trace Gaynor’s movements through CCTV in the city and at this stage, we’re satisfied there is no evidence that Gaynor met anybody on the way to the park.
‘While this is not the outcome we wished for, our search has always predominantly focused on the river and the park.
‘A post-mortem examination will be carried out to establish the cause of death, however I would reiterate that at this stage there is no evidence of third-party involvement. Nothing in our enquiries so far has changed this position.’
Police vehicles seen at the bank of the River Wensum in Norwich on Friday
This timeline shows what we know so far about how Gaynor Lord’s disappearance unfolded
Police divers yesterday found a body in the river, marking the location with an orange buoy before retrieving it from the water
He also told reporters: ‘We remain open-minded to the circumstances of Gaynor’s disappearance, and we’ll continue to pursue all lines of inquiry to ascertain why she went missing. I’m keen to say this remains a missing person inquiry at this stage.
Timeline of Gaynor Lord’s movements before going missing
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2023
2.44pm – Gaynor is working at the Bullards Gin counter in the basement at Jarrold department store ¿ her clothing is clearly visible
2.45-2.46pm – She leaves the store via loading bay on Bedford Street
2.47pm – Walks onto London Street past Cosy Club
2.48pm – Gaynor makes her way onto Queens Street and walks toward the Cathedral
3.22pm – Gaynor is seen on The Close at the cathedral entrance – shortly before exiting through the archway she puts her coat on
3.23pm – She is seen to walk away from the cathedral on Queens Street – here you can see a clear image of the coat she was wearing
3.49pm – This is the last sighting of Gaynor on CCTV near the Playhouse on St George’s Street
3.53pm – Walks along St Crispins Road towards Pitt Street
4.01pm – Gaynor walks up St Augustines Street – her final movements captured in CCTV before going missing
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2023
12pm – Police divers pull a body from the river
‘I am also satisfied at the moment, based on the evidence that we have, that Gaynor did not meet anyone on the way to the park, and we now have a better understanding of her movements through the city centre.’
The officer added: ‘I would reiterate at this stage that there is no evidence of third party involvement. Nothing in our inquiries have changed this position.’
Specialist police divers were seen searching an area of the River Wensum on Friday morning before finding a body, which they then pulled out of the water in a black bag.
Police yesterday revealed that they have ‘some indications’ as to why Mrs Lord left work early on the day she vanished, but also admitted they have not been able to establish her state of mind when she went missing with ‘any degree of confidence’.
It came after Mrs Gaynor’s friend Julie Butcher shared her ‘regret’ after being forced to hang up on the mother-of-three on the day she went missing in order to answer a work call.
She promised to phone her back, but when she did five minutes later, there was no answer.
Ms Butcher told Sky News: ‘I wish I hadn’t have answered that call. [I] Really wish I hadn’t have answered that call. And then she may have talked to me a bit more or I might have found out the reason why she was calling me.
‘I just wish I’d have kept her on the phone and not taken that phone call because you never know, she might have said something.’
Speaking about the last time she saw Mrs Lord, she said: ‘She was happy on Tuesday and we had a few gins with her and the last time I saw her she gave me a hug.’
She said she was ‘upbeat’ and talking about Christmas just days before she disappeared.
Wensum Park currently remains closed to the public.
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