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Peter Lawrence, whose daughter Claudia Lawrence has been missing since she disappeared from her home in York nearly 12 years ago, has died at age 74.
In a brief statement, his family said he died at St Leonard’s Hospice in the city after a brief illness.
ClaudiaThe 35-year-old chef at a York University canteen was supposed to have been murdered after failing to report for work in March 2009, leaving no obvious clues as to what had happened to her.
In the years since, Lawrence had assisted detectives in two separate police murder investigations as they tried to piece together his daughter’s private life, repeatedly asking whoever knew what had happened to his daughter to speak up.
Lawrence holds a photo of his daughter in March 2019
Detective Superintendent Ray Galloway, who led the first investigation, said Claudia’s private life had involved “complexity and mystery,” and although two arrests were made, no charges were filed.
Four years after his disappearance, a cold case review was initiated and new research Led by Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn resulted in six arrests, including four local men in their 50s.
When the Crown Prosecution Service announced in 2016 that there was insufficient evidence to press charges against the four, Malyn said his investigation had been “compromised by the reluctance of some and the refusal of others to cooperate with police investigations. “.
Throughout the two investigations, which are believed to have cost nearly £ 1.5 million, Lawrence campaigned on behalf of his daughter and became an active supporter of the Missing People charity.
Mr. Lawrence died without knowing what happened to Claudia
A showgirl at York Minster, with connections to the Church of England and the local Conservative party, Mr. Lawrence enlisted the help of the then Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, to keep the media attention on his daughter’s case.
A deeply reserved man, he sometimes struggled with media attention.
But with legal experience, including a stint as an attorney for the North Yorkshire Police before the creation of the Crown Prosecution Service, Lawrence successfully lobbied for a new law that would give the families of missing persons the right to deal with your financial affairs after 90 days.
Nicknamed Claudia’s Law, it was passed in April 2017 and the following year, Lawrence received an OBE on the Queen’s birthday honors list for her role in founding the bill.
Lawrence received an OBE in 2018 for his work supporting families of missing persons
Lawrence’s family said in a statement: “It is sad that almost 12 years after Claudia’s disappearance from York, Peter never found out what had happened to him.
“She was a very private person who got caught up in the media and despite a tireless campaign to find her, she also selflessly dedicated herself to helping others with missing family members through the Missing People charity.”
They added: “Despite Peter’s death, the message remains the same: where is Claudia?
“Anyone with information should contact North Yorkshire Police at 101.”
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