Norfolk Police remain "open-minded" about Gaynor Lord's disappearance
An unidentified body was found in the River Wensum, yesterday- a week after the 55 year-old went missing
Last updated 16th Dec 2023
Norfolk Police are telling us they remain "open-minded" about the circumstances of Gaynor Lord's disappearance- and are still treating this a missing person inquiry
An unidentified body was found in the River Wensum, yesterday- a week after the 55 year-old went missing- with some of her belongings were discovered in Wensum Park
It was discovered by Specialist divers from Lincolnshire Police’s underwater search team, on Friday morning- following several days of detailed and methodical searches.
While formal identification is yet to take place- Gaynor’s family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.
"A post-mortem examination will be carried"
Chief Superintendent Dave Buckley, Norfolk’s County Policing Commander, said: “While we establish the woman’s identity, our thoughts remain with Gaynor’s family at this difficult and distressing time. We have specialist family liaison officers supporting and keeping them updated with our work.
“We remain open minded to the circumstances surrounding Gaynor’s disappearance and will continue to pursue lines of enquiry to understand why she went missing. I am keen to say this remains a missing person investigation.
“We’ve been able to trace Gaynor’s movements through CCTV in the city and at this stage, we’re satisfied there is no evidence that Gaynor met anybody on the way to the park.
“While this is not the outcome we wished for, our search has always predominantly focused on the river and the park.
“A post-mortem examination will be carried out to establish the cause of death, however I would reiterate that at this stage there is no evidence of third-party involvement. Nothing in our enquiries so far has changed this position.”
The background:
The married-mother-of-three was last seen on Friday, 8th December.
When she left her shift at Jarrold department store more than an hour earlier than expected.
It was later established she’d gone missing after her belongings were found in Wensum Park.
The park has been closed to the public since Saturday, with specialist teams carrying out extensive land and water searches.
Police have now 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.
What happens next?
Wensum Park remains closed to the public- as Police searches continue.
Norfolk Police will now work to identify the body- which they say will take a couple of days