Claudia Lawrence: 59 year old released on bail – forensic searches now into third day

A man arrested in connection with the disappearance of chef Claudia Lawrence has been released on conditional bail.

ZMAIN

by Ellie Henman |
Published on

Claudia was 35 when she went missing in March 2009, in Malton, Yorkshire.

Michael Snelling, 59 was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of murder.

Properties connected to the charity worker are still undergoing forensic tests and searches.

Officers investigating Claudia’s disappearance first searched his home in 2011.

A property, thought to be belong to Snelling's mother, was searched yesterday
A property, thought to be belong to Snelling's mother, was searched yesterday

Snelling work as a laboratory technician at the University of York – where Claudia worked as a chef – and drank in the same pub as her.

Friends of Mr Snelling have expressed their shock over his arrest, with his cousin telling reporters:

“He is the best of sons. I was shocked when I found out, I couldn’t believe it. He is a lovely bloke and an academic who used to work at the university.’”

The house in York remains sealed off and is being searched

Despite a nationwide search for Claudia in the wake of her disappearance, police have never found her body.

The investigation appeared to have slowed until just two months ago, when police looking into the case announced they had new leads on the case – including fingerprints and the DNA profile of an unidentified man, found on a discarded cigarette butt in Claudia’s car.

We will have more on this story as it develops.

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