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On Friday morning, trained divers retrieved a body from a river after searching for a week for Gaynor Lord, a mother of three who had gone missing.
Authorities have been fervently looking for Lord since the previous Friday when she did not come back to her residence after her shift in Norwich’s downtown area.
Later that evening, a member of the public found her belongings, which consisted of a white shirt, two rings, a mobile phone, and glasses, in Wensum Park.
A thorough investigation by the police commenced after a coat belonging to her was discovered in the River Wensum, flowing through the park.
On Friday at midday, Norfolk police confirmed that a body was retrieved from the river with the help of specialist divers and sonar technology.
Earlier this morning, officers were spotted using an orange buoy to demarcate a particular area of the water. This took place approximately 100 metres downstream from where the search was centered on Thursday.
Police divers wearing flippers were already getting ready to go into the water at a different part of the river. However, they received a phone call and subsequently packed up their equipment and redirected to a new location at around 11am.
Around noon, the body was retrieved from the water in a black bag.
Norfolk Police have confirmed that a body was discovered in the River Wensum during the search for missing Norwich woman Gaynor Lord.
Although the body has not been officially identified, Gaynor’s family has been notified. They are receiving support from specially trained officers.
During a press conference on Friday, Chief Superintendent Dave Buckley stated that a post-mortem examination must be conducted on the deceased in order to determine the cause of death.
He stated that the force is open to considering all possibilities and will continue to investigate all leads.
The investigation continues as a search for a missing individual, but authorities are certain that Ms. Lord did not encounter anyone while en route to Wensum Park and that there was no involvement from a third party.
The officer stated that they are currently content with the evidence that suggests Gaynor did not encounter anyone on her way to the park. They also have gained a clearer understanding of her actions in the city center.
I want to emphasize again that there is no proof of involvement from an outside party at this point. Our investigations have not revealed anything that alters this stance.
The actions of Lord prior to her disappearance have left investigators baffled.
According to Ch Supt Buckley, detectives are unable to justify certain actions of the individual and have been unsuccessful in determining the person’s mental state at the time of their disappearance with certainty.
The mother left her job at Jarrolds Department store more than an hour before her scheduled departure on the day she went missing. She was captured on surveillance footage exiting the building through the service entrance on Bedford Street at 2:46pm.
At 2:15 in the afternoon, she contacted her friend Julie Butcher, but their conversation was brief as Julie had to attend to a client.
According to a coworker who spoke to The Sun, the missing woman had mentioned feeling unwell in the days prior to her disappearance. Another coworker stated that she had left work early without explaining why and did not appear upset.
She was observed strolling around Norwich’s city center, going back and forth between the cathedral on Queens Street. At a certain moment, she seemed to be in a rush.
At 4:01pm, she was seen walking along St. Augustines Street in the direction of Wensum Park. This was the final time she was captured on CCTV.
A person who witnessed the event stepped forward and reported seeing a woman who fit the description of Lord performing a yoga pose in the park at approximately 4pm. A friend of Lord, Ms Butcher, claims to have received a accidental phone call from her at 4:15pm.
As authorities continue to look into her unexplained disappearance, bouquets of flowers have started to appear near the entrance of Wensum Park. By 3pm on Friday, three bunches had been left as tributes.
The Norfolk Police stated that their ongoing investigations are mainly centered around the river and the park.
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