Today is Claudia Lawrence’s 45th birthday.
She went missing, aged 35, more than 3,500 days ago. And today Martin Dales, friend of Claudia’s father Peter Lawrence, issued a heartfelt message to mark the milestone.
Martin said:
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I cannot believe that Claudia, having been missing for nearly 10 years, is 45 years old today and her father Peter Lawrence and I have been reflecting on what she would be like at 45.
The tragedy that is Claudia Lawrence missing is compounded by the pain that is so acutely suffered by her family and friends in her being away from the ones she loves.
For everyone who knows Claudia, this a time for reflection on how lovely she is and to remember all the good times everyone who know her had in her company.
I hope also that whoever is responsible for her disappearance will also be reflecting on the information they have been withholding for over 3,500 days and recognise the agony this is causing for both family and friends alike.
‘A different person’
She vanished after returning to her home in Melrosegate following a shift working as a chef at the University of York.
For years police have treated the case as murder. Despite taking more than 2,500 statements and making nine arrests, officers have yet to charge anyone with her abduction or murder.
Last year her father Peter reflected on the years since his daughter went missing.
“It’s one of these peculiar things that sometimes it feels like yesterday, and sometimes it feels much more like 10 years,” he said, after he received an OBE at Buckingham Palace for services to the families of missing persons.
“She was relatively young. She was 35 when she went missing. So she would now be a completely different person anyway, so we’ve missed all that time.”