Dog walker claims she found Claudia’s rucksack near River Tees days after her last sighting in 2009.
Claudia was 35. She failed to arrive at York University. Police conducted an extensive search, but they never found her.
Claudia’s mum, Joan, is 81. Joan said she lost faith in the police. Her distrust stems from a comment on Crimewatch soon after Claudia vanished.
A podcast called Answers for Claudia interviewed Bev, who shared her new information. The Mirror reported Bev’s story: Bev found the bag on March 31, within two weeks of Claudia’s disappearance.
The bag was a purple and blue Karrimor backpack. It sat by a tree near the River Tees, close to Ingleby Barwick, about 40 miles from York. Foil-wrapped sandwiches were inside.
Bev initially left the bag. Later, she returned after a police press conference, but the bag was gone. Bev recognized the bag from a newspaper and knew it was the one she found.
Originally, police thought Claudia might be murdered. Despite media attention, the case remains unsolved. No one knows what happened to her; her whereabouts are unknown.
A van driver named Dave spoke on the podcast this week. He claims he saw a woman near Wetherby the night before Claudia vanished. Wetherby is around 20 miles away. Dave saw Claudia’s face in a news report and recognized her as the woman from the A1.
Joan found a hidden loft in Claudia’s home in Malton, North Yorkshire. Joan doubts police will search it because she lacks trust in them.
Joan wants an independent search, suggesting a charity like Locate International. She feels the initial police work failed and proper searches might have provided answers. She doesn’t know if the attic was ever searched and wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t.