Gaynor Lord - latest: Tributes as police confirm body found in river is missing mother-of-three
Police confirmed body pulled from River Wensum on Friday following week-long search
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Tributes have begun to pour in for missing mother-of-three Gaynor Lord, whose body was found in the River Wensum on Friday.
Norfolk Police confirmed the results of the official identification, which took place on Sunday, in a statement that read: “Police can confirm the body of woman found in the River Wensum in Norwich on Friday has been formally identified as Gaynor Lord.”
They added that they have found no indications of any third-party involvement and early indications of her cause of death are “consistent with drowning.”
Her employer Jarrolds said that she would be “missed by all”, while floral tributes have been laid at the gates of Wensum Park.
Ms Lord went missing on Friday December 8, after she left work in Norwich over an hour early. She was seen on CCTV footage walking through the city towards Wensum Park, where her belongings were later found.
A family friend said her loved ones were left “distraught” after she disappeared, telling The Times: “Gaynor’s husband Clive is totally lost. He doesn’t understand at all what’s happened.”
Police to continue topursue all lines of enquiry
In a statement on Saturday, Norfolk Police said they would “pursue all lines of enquiry” to understand why mother-of-three Gaynor Lord went missing last Friday
Chief Superintendent Dave Buckley said: “The post-mortem examination has found no signs that any other parties were involved.
“Although our searches have concluded, officers are continuing to work to establish the full circumstances surrounding Gaynor’s disappearance.
“We will pursue all lines of inquiry to understand why she went missing.”
Why did Gaynor Lord leave work early?
Ms Lord worked in Jarrolds department store in Bedford Street, Norwich.
Her shift on Friday December 8 was due to end at 4pm but instead she left more than an hour early at 2.45pm. So far, Police have been unable to explain why, and have been informed by friends and family her behaviour was out of character.
Chief Superintendant Dave Buckley told a media briefing last week: “We can’t explain some of her behaviour that day. We’re working really closely with family, with friends, with anybody else who might have had contact with her in the recent days or weeks to try and understand why this might have happened.
“People are very shocked by what’s happened. Nobody knows why she’s done what she’s done.”
Mapped: Gaynor Lord’s last known movements
Norfolk Police confirmed on Monday that the body pulled out of the River Wensum on Friday was Gaynor Lord.
The mother-of-three had been missing for a week before she was found.
Her final known movements were captured on CCTV as she walked through Norwich city centre after leaving work over an hour early.
No third-party involvement, police say
Detectives investigating the disappearance of mother-of-three Gaynor Lord have said there is no evidence a third party was involved in her death.
The 55-year-old vanished after leaving work in Norwich city centre early at 2.45pm on December 8 and Norfolk Police said her body was found in the River Wensum on Friday.
A post-mortem examination was carried out on Saturday morning and found no indication a third party was involved and the death is not being treated as suspicious, the force added.
Watch: CCTV shows missing mother's last known moments
Full police statement on formal identification of Gaynor Lord
This is the full statement released by Norfolk Police today as they confirmed the body pulled from the River Wensum on Friday was Gaynor Lord:
Police can confirm the body of woman found in the River Wensum in Norwich on Friday has been formally identified as Gaynor Lord.
Gaynor went missing on Friday 8 December; she’d left work early and later that evening her belongings were discovered in Wensum Park.
Extensive searches took place last week and on Friday morning (15 December) specialist underwater teams discovered Gaynor’s body.
A Home Office post-mortem examination carried out on Saturday (16 December) found no indications of any third-party involvement and the death is not being treated as suspicious. While the Home Office Pathologist awaits the results of the toxicology before formally confirming cause of death, early indications are consistent with drowning.
Gaynor was formally identified yesterday (17 December), subject to formal inquest proceedings taking place.
Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Gaynor’s disappearance and a file is being prepared for the coroner.
Timeline of Gaynor’s last known movements
Norfolk Police have confirmed the timeline of Gaynor’s movements in the city centre:
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 the loading bay on Bedford Street
2.47pm – Walks onto London Street past the Cosy Club
2.48pm – Gaynor makes her way onto Queens Street and walks toward the Cathedral
2.50pm – Gaynor walks into the cathedral grounds
2.57pm – Gaynor walks along Riverside Walk
3.12pm – Gaynor is seen walking back on Riverside Walk, on to Cotman Fields and crosses Bishopgate
3.13pm – Gaynor continues to talk on Riverside Road towards 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
4.03pm – Walks on to Baker Street
4.07pm – The final sighting of Gaynor is on Green Hills Road/St Martins Road junction
Husband ‘distraught’ as body found confirmed to be Gaynor Lord
Gaynor Lord’s heartbroken family have told friends of their pain as police confirmed her body was found in the river on Friday.
A family friend said the 55-year-old’s loved ones were left “distraught” after she disappeared, telling The Times: “Gaynor’s husband Clive is totally lost. He doesn’t understand at all what’s happened.”
Lord’s daughter Charlotte, 24, had shared police appeals several times on social media. Her latest tragic update confirmed a body had been found.
What happened to Gaynor Lord’s belongings?
Police found a number of Ms Lord’s belongings scattered in Wensum Park next to the river where they were conducting the main search.
Clothing, a mobile phone and glasses were found dispersed around the park 1.5 miles from her workplace in a department store. Her coat was found in the River Wensum itself.
Chief Superintendent Dave Buckley from Norfolk Police said the force had used sonar equipment across the river which was an “extraordinarily challenging environment” for them to work in.
Department store Gaynor Lord worked at releases statement
The department store Gaynor Lord worked at before she went missing has spoken out after police confirmed they had found her body in the River Wensum on Friday.
The mother-of-three left her shift at Jarrolds early on Friday December 8 before walking through Norwich city centre towards Wensum Park.
Her belongings were later found scattered around the park and in the water that ran through the site prompting a week-long search.
On Monday afternoon, Jarrolds released a statement sharing their condolences to the family of their former colleague reading: “Our thoughts are with the family of Gaynor Lord at this extremely difficult time. As someone who worked within the store she will be missed by all and we would like to pass on our collective condolences.”
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