A NUMBER of questions surround the disappearance of Gaynor Lord after a body was found in the search for the missing mum.
Gaynor, 55, disappeared after she was seen leaving work early before rushing through the streets of Norwich on December 8.
TwitterGaynor went missing seven days ago[/caption]
PAGaynor seen on CCTV working at the Jarrods department store in Norwich[/caption]
PAChief Superintendent Dave Buckley speaking to the media in Wensum Park, Norwich, on Friday[/caption]
Gaynor left work early on the day of her disappearance
A body was tragically found in the River Wensum on Friday following a “detailed and methodical search” by specialist police divers.
Speaking on Friday, Chief Superintendent Dave Buckley said there is no evidence of third party involvement in Gaynor’s disappearance.
But he added that cops remain “open-minded” over the circumstances behind why she vanished and are “pursuing all lines of inquiry”.
Meanwhile, floral tributes have been laid outside Wensum Park by members of the public.
What happened on Friday?
Gaynor disappeared after leaving her work at the Jarrold department store in Norwich city centre at 2.45pm – 15 minutes early.
She left the store via a loading bay on Bedford Street, before walking onto London Street past a Cosy Club restaurant.
Police released an image of Gaynor with a smile ear-to-ear as she left the store.
But a CCTV clip released by police showed the mum then running along a path with her coat in hand.
She seemed to be in a hurry, rushing to cross the road.
The mum was last snapped on CCTV at 4.01pm.
Norwich Constabulary declared Gaynor missing after they found her ID inside a handbag when she failed to return home from work the same evening.
What happened at the cathedral?
Gaynor was seen entering the area of Norwich Cathedral at around 2.44pm on December 8.
The mum seems to spend 30 minutes at the cathedral before she was spotted on CCTV again.
It was initially thought the mum may have met someone at the cathedral before she vanished.
But cops said on Friday there was no evidence to suggest she had met anyone before leaving the area.
Ch Sup Buckley added: “I am also satisfied at the moment based on the evidence that we have that Gaynor did not meet anybody on the way to the park and we now have a better understanding of her movements through the city centre.”
Why did it take so long to find her?
Cops said on Friday that the search for Gaynor “has always predominantly focused on the river and the park”.
But despite days of combing the park and the River Wensum, a body was recovered on Friday.
It came after her white work shirt, yellow tank top, and jewellery were found spread out – and her olive-coloured coat was found in the Wensum river on the day she went missing.
Her mobile phone, coat, ring and glasses were also found later the same evening as police scoured Wensum Park.
Police insist a “detailed and methodical search” had been ongoing in the area, with work now ongoing to establish the identity of the body recovered from the river.
But divers said they faced bone-chilling water with zero visibility and endless debris.
Ch Sup Buckley said earlier this week: “
“We have been speaking to the dive team on site.
“Visibility in the River Wensum is between zero and one foot underwater with temperatures as low as 4 degrees C.
“As soon as you reach one foot in front of you, visibility goes.
“Then there’s obviously leaves, branches, debris, and the flow of the river to contend with.
“That is the biggest problem because there’s been so much rainfall.”
He added: “They’re swimming against the flow of the river, which is very difficult.
“They are searching with next to zero visibility, and in a systematic manner.
“It’s very time consuming because it’s a large area to search and we must make sure we covered every feasible inch of water.”
What did she mean when she told her pals she felt funny?
The last person to speak to Gaynor revealed she was making plans to play tennis in the New Year.
Julie Butcher, 60, said she saw her pal at Jarrolds last Tuesday – three days before she disappeared.
She said: “She seemed fine and happy.
“She gave me a hug when I left and said to call her in the spring to arrange a game of tennis, as it’s too cold to play at the moment.”
Gaynor’s hands were “shaking” and she said she felt “a bit off” just hours before her disappearance, colleagues have said.
Married mum-of-two Julie was the last person to speak to Gaynor last Friday, hours before she disappeared.
Julie said: “I got a call from her at around 2.15pm and she said, ‘it’s Gaynor, where are you?’
“I said I’m at home, then I had a client call and I said I’m really sorry I’ve got to take it but that I’d call her back in two minutes. It all happened in about ten seconds.
“I rang her back, left her a voicemail and WhatsApp saying I’m in all afternoon, and didn’t think anything else of it. Then at 4.15pm she rang me again.
“I said, ‘hi Gaynor’ but she didn’t say anything – it sounded like a pocket call. It went on for 12 seconds. It sounded like someone walking with the phone in their pocket.
“I then got a call from the police at 1.45am saying I was the last person Gaynor called. I wish I hadn’t taken the phone call from the client.
A shop assistant who works beside Gaynor also said the missing mum “was a bit off”.
She told The Sun: “I saw her on either Thursday or Friday and she said, ‘I feel a bit funny, a bit off today’.
“She shook her hands as she said it but I didn’t think much of it.
“We’ve had general small talk before. It was very off the cuff and didn’t seem over the top.”
What are the next steps?
Police are working to establish an identity for the body recovered from the river on Friday.
Cops are also now waiting on the results of a post-mortem examination to ascertain a cause of death, which will likely aid the investigation.
Gaynor’s family, meanwhile, are being supported by specialist officers.
Ch Sup Buckley added: “While we establish her identity, our thoughts are with Gaynor’s family at this difficult and distressing time.
“We have specialist family liaison officers supporting the family and keeping them updated with what we are doing at all stages.
“We remain open-minded to the circumstances of Gaynor’s disappearance and will continue to pursue all lines of enquiry to ascertain why she went missing.”
PAFlowers outside Wensum Park, Norwich, after a body was discovered by police divers[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
