Double tragedy in Claudia Lawrence disappearance after childhood pal is murdered – as mum says ‘they’ll be together now’
MISSING Claudia Lawrence's mum has spoken of her torment after her daughter's childhood best friend was brutally murdered.
Lisa Welford was held under water by her abusive partner Vincent Morgan, 47, in April this year.
Sadly, the 49-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest following the horror in the River Derwent.
Morgan was today jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years after being convicted of murder.
The tragedy came 15 years after chef Claudia disappeared when she failed to show up at work in March 2009.
Her mum Joan Lawrence has revealed her anguish at Lisa's death and described the childhood friends as a pair of "angels".
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She told the : ";I was devastated. I felt numb with shock.
"How could two children that had grown up together have such terrible things happen to them?"
Joan said both girls became best friends aged just four and attended St Andrews together then later York College for Girls.
The mum revealed she broke down when she heard the "little girl who had been such a big part of our lives for so long" had been killed.
Lisa was discovered in the river at around 11.40pm on April 25 after police were called to the scene.
Morgan had held his girlfriend's head under the water while pretending he was trying to save her after she "jumped" in the river.
Lisa was rushed to hospital where medics discovered she had head injuries, a bleed on the brain, fractured ribs, a fractured collar bone and a severely fractured femur.
The monster had a "long history of physical abuse against Lisa" and was subject of a third Domestic Violence Prevention Order (DVPO).
He was also on police bail at the time of Lisa's death and had previously been jailed for stealing a war medal from a 102-year-old Dunkirk veteran.
Joan said she spoke to Lisa's mum Rita Welford following the horror, who told her "I think they'll be together now".
She added: "I knew Claudia would have been devastated to hear about Lisa, as Lisa was when Claudia went missing. She would be crushed.
"I felt bereft for Rita. Her pain was visceral. She was suffering so much.
"I felt physically sick to think about what Lisa had gone through. I still do. I know Rita was just broken by how her daughter had died.
"There we were, two mums together, trying to understand how things had turned out the way they had for our daughters.”
Joan said she is now unable to walk past the section of river in Malton, North Yorkshire, where Lisa died.
In another tragic twist, another woman, Victoria Taylor, was found dead in the same stretch of water just months later.
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a - available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
Joan said: "It just feels so sad that two women have died so close to where I live.
"Every time I hear of another woman locally going missing or her body being found, it makes me think of Claudia. Until a name is released, I panic and worry it is Claudia.
"Afterwards when I discover it isn’t Claudia, I always pray for their family.”
Police believe Claudia, 35, was murdered but her body has never been found.
Despite two major investigations and nine people being questioned over her disappearance, no one has ever been brought to justice.
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Tragically, Claudia's dad Peter died in 2021 without ever getting answers.
Her mum has never given up hope that her daughter is alive.