March 18, 2009
Claudia last seen on CCTV on her way home from work at the University of York.
March 19
Claudia doesn’t arrive for her 6am shift.
March 21 & 22
A missing persons appeal is released by North Yorkshire Police. Picture: Ryedale MP John Greenway
March 23
A press conference is held by North Yorkshire Police appealing for information. Claudia’s image is projected at Leeds Railway Station.
Picture: Detective Chief Inspector Lucy Pope holds a bag identical to the one carried by Claudia Lawrence when she went missing.
April
£10,000 reward offered by Crimestoppers for information on Claudia’s disappearance.
May
BBC Crimewatch film a reconstruction of the last sighting of Claudia.
The number of visitors to findclaudia.co.uk reaches 10,000.
July
A 26-year-old Selby man is given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay court costs after making a drunken phone call to police claiming he had found the body of Claudia Lawrence under a bush.
August
Police announce £485,000 has been spent by on the investigation so far, including £90,000 in the first 12 days of Claudia’s disappearance.
Picture: Detective Superintendent Ray Galloway, the North Yorkshire police detective in charge of the investigation into missing chef Claudia Lawrence.
September
Police search the biology department of the University of York. Tourism workers claim to remember seeing Claudia in Cyprus in Paphos in March.
October
Police announce they will be speaking with former partners of Claudia. Peter Lawrence, pictured below, unveils images of Claudia at Edinburgh’s Waverly Station.
November
Hoax message left on Facebook by a teenager from Oxfordshire, purporting to be from Claudia, saying: “Hi everyone just let you be aware that I am ok and I am safe and sound. Speak to all soon. Claudia. xxx” He is later arrested and cautioned. Cost of investigation so far is £558,000 to North Yorkshire Police.
December
Chief Constable Grahame Maxwell urges the public to contact police with information in his Christmas message.
2010
February
Claudia Lawrence Awareness Day is held in St Sampson’s Square by friends and family on the eve of her 36th birthday.
Picture: Det Supt Ray Galloway, Suzy Cooper, Peter Lawrence, Jen King and Martin Dales.
March
Hoax calls start a four-day search in Heslington following the first anniversary of Claudia’s disappearance.
Picture: Police searching hedges and fields at The Outgang, Heslington, for missing York Chef Claudia Lawrence.
April
TV crew visits The Press for a Channel 4 documentary on Claudia’s disappearance. Claudia’s sister Ali Sims speaks to The Press about the toll the disappearance has taken on the family.
Picture: Claudia Lawrence, right, on her sister Ali's wedding day in 1999.
July
Police investigation scaled down from more than 100 officers to 16, then seven, after £770,000 was spent on the case. A house in Thornton-le-Dale is the latest to be searched in connection with the case.
August
Peter Lawrence visits Claudia’s Heworth Road home for the first time since March 20, 2009, and calls it a “strange and numbing experience”.
September
Crimestoppers withdraw the £10,000 reward for information. This is reinstated in October 2010.
December
Peter Lawrence begins supporting Missing People.
2011
January
Peter Lawrence meets MPs at Parliament to support calls to change the law and help families deal with the estates of missing people.
February
A Vigil For The Missing held at York Minster to mark Claudia’s 37th birthday, attended by Kate McCann, the mother of missing child Madeleine McCann.
March
Crimestoppers withdraw the £10,000 reward again.
April
Former York man Richard O’Rourke, 48, of Lincoln, is jailed for 18 months for hoax calls on the first anniversary of Claudia’s disappearance which suggested she was buried in Heslington.
May
Peter Lawrence addresses racegoers at York Racecourse appealing for information.
December – 1,000 days since Claudia’s disappearance detectives announce a potentially crucial new witness has come forward. Claudia’s family urge whoever is leaving wreaths at her home each Christmas to stop doing so.
2012
January
Police investigate a hole in woodland in Heslington Lane near the University of York.
February
Peter Lawrence again addresses MPs on changing the laws to make it easier for the families of missing people to deal with their estates. An overhaul of Facebook causes thousands of messages of support to be lost from a page supporting the investigation.
March
Another Crimewatch appeal for information on the third anniversary of Claudia’s disappearance.
July
Sighting of Claudia in Amsterdam reported to North Yorkshire Police.
October
Peter Lawrence is presented with a Significant Achievement Award at The Press Community Pride Awards. He also appeals again to MPs at Parliament.
December
Missing People Northern Carol Service held at St Chad’s Church. Joan Lawrence claims chances were missed by the initial police investigation into Claudia’s disappearance.
2013
January – Remains of a woman, later revealed to be Lisette Dugmore, found by the River Ouse.
Det Supt Ray Galloway, pictured above, retires from North Yorkshire Police, but maintains the investigation into Claudia’s disappearance will continue.
March
A national Sunday newspaper claims Claudia was planning a new life in Cyprus prior to her disappearance. ‘Gone’, a book detailing Claudia’s disappearance and the subsequent investigation, is released by author Neil Root.
June
Joan Lawrence is made mayor of Malton.
Parliament announces plans for new guardianship power for relatives of missing people.
July
North Yorkshire Police announce the Major Crime Unit will review the investigation into Claudia’s disappearance.
September
Rodney Bollard, 66, of Nottingham, is reported to police for harassment of the Lawrence family. He claims to be a psychic, posted a sketch of the moment he claims Claudia was murdered on his website, and was allegedly responsible for laying a wreath at her home each Christmas.
October
Forensic officers begin a new search at Claudia’s Heworth Road home, in a search which lasts several weeks.
December
Peter Lawrence and Claudia’s friend Suzy Cooper speak at the Missing People Carol Service.
2014
February
Claudia’s 40th birthday.
March
Fifth anniversary of Claudia’s disappearance.
May
Police arrest a 59-year-old man on suspicion of Claudia’s murder. Officers search two houses – one in Burnholme Grove, York, and another in North Shields - and seize one car. He was released from bail in November 2014. Picture: Police stand outide a property on Burnholme Grove, York.
July
A 46-year-old man is arrested at a York pub on suspicion of perverting the course of justice in connection with the Claudia Lawrence investigation, and extensive searches take place at The Acomb pub in Kingsway West, including pneumatic drilling to dig up part of the cellar. He was released from bail in April 2015.
Picture: Police seal off The Acomb hotel.
September
Peter Lawrence marks 2,000 days since Claudia disappeared.
2015
January
Daniel Oxley, 22, pictured below, is jailed for life for murdering a man in County Durham. During his arrest, he claimed to have murdered Claudia. His barrister said Oxley "said attention-seeking and grandiose things after he was arrested to those in authority to misrepresent his own position".
February
Fresh searches take place in the alleyway behind Claudia’s home in Heworth, days before her 41st birthday. Det Supt Dai Malyn said the searches were part of “a lead that may indicate the alleyway at the rear of Claudia’s house is significant”.
Former neighbours who had since moved away were also sought out, and a police dog was used in the alley.
Police later said nothing of significance was discovered during this search.
Det Supt Malyn also blamed liars for holding back the investigation, saying: “I am convinced, and I know people have lied to us. I hope they realise the pain the family is going through.”
March
A York man in his fifties is arrested on suspicion of Claudia’s murder, and searches take place at a house in the city. He is later released from bail.
April
Three more men, all aged in their fifties, are arrested on suspicion of Claudia’s murder, and police search three separate properties in and around Heworth. Both Peter and Joan remain cautious about the perceived progress. All three are released on bail, and no further action is taken.
Picture: Police search locations in York as three men are arrested on suspicion of Claudia's murder.
Joan Lawrence appears on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire Show, pictured below, to talk about Claudia’s disappearance, showing photos from her childhood and revealing she had written numerous letters to Claudia in the years since her disappearance.
May
North Yorkshire Police confirm the cost of Operation Essence - the review into the investigation into Claudia’s disappearance - has almost reached £400,000. The original investigation, Operation Cabin, cost more than £750,000, taking the total spent on investigating Claudia’s disappearance to that point to more than £1m.
September
North Yorkshire Police hand over their case against four men on suspicion of Claudia’s murder to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider whether a successful prosecution could be brought.
November
A documentary by Donal McIntyre looks again at the investigation into Claudia's disappearance.
December
Joan Lawrence releases new photos from her family album showing Claudia as a young girl, ahead of a special service in her memory.
2016
March
The CPS confirm the men will not be charged with Claudia’s murder, following a study of the case put forward by detectives, citing there was “insufficient evidence” to prove that any of the men had any involvement in Claudia’s disappearance”.
Joan Lawrence said she was “absolutely devastated” by the announcement, which came a week before the seventh anniversary of Claudia’s disappearance, and Det Supt Dai Malyn, pictured below, said the decision was “disappointing and frustrating”.
Peter Lawrence said he was disappointed with the decision, but “prosecution and even conviction would not bring Claudia back to us and may well not have resulted in revealing where she is buried, if she was murdered”.
Reflecting on the decision, Det Supt Malyn said: “I am left with the inescapable conclusion that this case could still be solved if only people were honest with us. The fact that they are not is agonising for Claudia’s family and they should be ashamed of themselves.”
Joan Lawrence also appears on BBC’s Songs of Praise to mark Mothering Sunday, in a pre-recorded interview later that month, and Peter Lawrence appears at Parliament calling for the changes to the guardianship laws to be brought before the House.
July
An FOI request showed a complaint had been filed against North Yorkshire Police over Operation Essence, but had not been upheld. The force said it could not specify the details of the complaint, but said no other complaints had been filed by any other organisations (such as the then-IPCC).
September/October
Reports in the national press claim murderer Christopher Halliwell, pictured below, from Wiltshire - who killed Becky Godden in 2003 and Sian O'Callaghan in March 2011 - could have murdered others, including Claudia.
The speculation is based on the suggestion Halliwell, who was given a whole life order - meaning he will never be released - had a relative who lived close to Heworth in 2009. North Yorkshire Police said this was incorrect - the relative died in 1992, and there were no known links, stating "this type of speculation does not help the family".
2017
January
Police announce the investigation, which by this time had cost £1m, was being scaled down to a 'reactive phase', and would only review any new and compelling information that comes to light.
Joan said she was "absolutely stunned" and "words can’t express enough how upset I am", and a spokesman for Peter Lawrence said the news was "depressing" and "frustrating", but there should be no criticism of North Yorkshire Police.
Claudia's Law passes its first reading in the House of Commons, and Joan also announces she would write a book about her life - called Faith, Hope And Love - to help fund the search for Claudia.
April
Amendments to guardianship legislation, known as Claudia's Law, are approved by the House Of Lords, following campaigning by Peter Lawrence and Missing People. The changes would make it easier for the families of people missing for more than 90 days to deal with their personal and financial affairs, but as of March 2019, the legislation has still not been put in place.
June
Peter Lawrence appears on Britain's Got Talent with the Missing People choir, finishing eighth in the competition. He is also awarded an OBE for his work with Missing People, which he received in October, but said he would give up the honour to have Claudia back.
September
Peter Lawrence retires from his consulting role as a solicitor at Ware & Kay after 47 years.
2018
February
The Lawrence family mark Claudia's 44th birthday.
March
Following the ninth anniversary of Claudia's disappearance, North Yorkshire Police confirm they had one last line of investigation in the £1m case, which related to DNA profiling of a partial profile found on a cigarette in a car. They state at the time the profiling could take six weeks.
April - Joan Lawrence tells ITV's Loose Women she believes Claudia was abducted while walking to work on March 19, 2009.
October
Joan Lawrence, pictured below, reveals the stress of Claudia's disappearance has affected her health so badly, she is losing her hair through alopecia and had begun wearing a wig in public.
November
Police announce the final active lead in the case, the partial DNA profile found in a car, has come to nothing, despite forensic investigation work taking place around the UK. Det Supt Dai Malyn said the result was "naturally very frustrating".
2019
February
Almost two years after Claudia’s Law - the Guardianship (Missing Persons) Bill - was given royal assent, York Outer MP Julian Sturdy calls on the Government to implement it, as the Ministry of Justice had still not put it into effect. The Lawrence family also mark Claudia's 45th birthday on February 27.
March
March 18 marks the tenth anniversary of the last time Claudia was seen alive, and the 19th marks the tenth anniversary of her disappearance.
2020
March
Peter Lawrence spoke of his continued anguish on the 11th anniversary of his daughter's disappearance.
He revealed how the pain of not knowing what has happened to her "eats into" him. The 73-year-old had to cancel a planned press conference in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and instead made his appeal for information from his home in York.
2021
February
Peter Lawrence OBE, dies aged 74 at St Leonard’s Hospice in York following a short illness.
A friend of Peter paid tribute to the former solicitor.
Martin Dales, said: “It is sad that nearly 12 years after Claudia’s disappearance from York Peter never found out what happened to her.
“He was a very private person thrust into the full glare of the media and despite a tireless campaign to find her, he also selflessly devoted himself to helping others with missing relatives through the charity Missing People.
“He also utilised his legal background to persuade Parliament to bring in firstly changes to the Presumption of Death Act and then the creation of the new Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act, known as Claudia’s Law, to assist people in dealing with the financial & business affairs of a missing person and for this work he received the OBE in 2018."
A senior detective who has taken over the investigation into the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence said he still hoped to bring her suspected killer to justice.
Detective Superintendent Wayne Fox, pictured below inset with a picture of Claudia, head of the North Yorkshire Major Investigation Team, spoke out on the 12th anniversary of Claudia going missing.
August
Detective Superintendent Wayne Fox speaks to assembled media at Sand Hutton Gravel Pits near York to confirm that police, including underwater divers, are searching there.
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