A man who murdered two young women also killed Claudia Lawrence, believes the policeman who brought him to justice.
Christopher Halliwell’s father lived close to where Claudia went missing, he revealed.
Halliwell will spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted last Friday (September 23) of the killing of Becky Godden, 20, four years after being jailed for the murder of 22-year-old Sian O’Callaghan.
Many believe Halliwell claimed more victims. And former Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher, who brought him to justice, believes Claudia Lawrence could have been among them.
Claudia, a chef at York University, disappeared in March 2009. She was 35.
Mr Fulcher told the Sunday Express:
Halliwell’s father lived a few streets away from where Claudia went missing. It fits his pattern of behaviour – abducting women walking alone either late at night or early in the morning.
Martin Dales, who has often acted as a spokesman for Claudia’s family, told the paper: “It has been an ongoing nightmare, particularly for parents Joan and Peter and sister Ali, as they wait for news of her whereabouts.
“I know North Yorkshire Police have worked tirelessly to find the answer, but it is high time whoever is responsible for Claudia’s disappearance came clean. How can someone be so cruel for this length of time?”
A North Yorkshire police spokesman said: “The investigation team is aware of this matter and they will carefully assess the information in line with the on-going review of the Claudia Lawrence case.
“However, to be clear, the team is not aware of any evidence that would link this individual to the disappearance and suspected murder of Claudia.”
Mr Fulcher also linked Halliwell with other unsolved murders, including those of Sally Ann John and Melanie Hall, who went missing in the 1990s.
The investigation so far
Nobody has seen or heard from Claudia Lawrence since Wednesday, March 18, 2009.
She was reported missing by her father on Friday, March 20 after concerns were raised when the chef failed to turn up for her 6am shift at the University of York on the Thursday.
North Yorkshire Police’s Major Crime Unit began actively reviewing and investigating the Claudia Lawrence case since October 2013.
New CCTV footage was released in March 2015 showing a suspicious figure near her home on the last day she was seen alive.
Since the case was reviewed, six men have been arrested at various times in connection with Claudia’s murder. All were later released.
In March 2016 police admitted their frustration about not having solved the case but vowed: “This investigation will never be closed before we find the truth”.
Read all our Claudia Lawrence stories here