Nicola Payne In a marked deviation from writing about the Zodiac Killer and crimes in America, I will be returning to my hometown of Coventry, England, to feature the long unsolved disappearance and likely murder of Nicola Payne (18) on December 14th 1991, mother to seven-month-old son Owen, last seen walking along Winston Avenue, Henley Green on her way to her parents house in Woodway Close. The journey should have been a short one - little more than 10 minutes or 600 yards walking distance, traversing a pathway known as the Black Pad and entering Pandora Road. Sadly, Nicola Payne never made it and the journey to uncover what happened that fateful Saturday has now extended to 25 years.
It can be seen below on Google maps the likely route Nicola would have taken, having left her boyfriend Jason Cooke's residence on Winston Avenue at midday, to cross waste ground, travelling eastwards to her destination. For a 3D view of the surrounding terrain click the map below. What makes this case unusual is her abduction (and likely eventual murder) occurred in broad daylight during a very slender timeline.
It can be seen below on Google maps the likely route Nicola would have taken, having left her boyfriend Jason Cooke's residence on Winston Avenue at midday, to cross waste ground, travelling eastwards to her destination. For a 3D view of the surrounding terrain click the map below. What makes this case unusual is her abduction (and likely eventual murder) occurred in broad daylight during a very slender timeline.
Nicola Payne's parents, John and Marilyn, desperately need answers to finally bring some semblance of closure regarding the whereabouts of their daughter, always clinging on to the hope that one day the mystery will be solved. Currently a £10,000 reward is on offer from family and friends for any information leading to a resolution in this case - although one needs no inspiration to want to help the family in finding the answers they so badly crave. Many searches for the remains of Nicola Payne have been undertaken in the intervening 25 years, including the land adjacent to Purcell Road, Courthouse Green, less than a mile away, along with an area of Coombe Abbey Country Park.
DCI Martin Slevin DCI Martin Slevin, currently running the investigation into the missing mother, stated "We have been searching here in Coombe Abbey for the past eight or so weeks and that's following a credible witness coming forward, that gave us information on the day Nicola Payne went missing on the 14th December 1991. So we've spent some time assessing the area, liasing with various scientists and various other specialists and that has lead us to begin this search". The witness remembered he was in Coombe Abbey on the day Nicola Payne went missing and recalled two men acting suspiciously in the wooded area, having struck up a conversation with them. DCI Martin Slevin added "And assessing that information in total has led us to believe that is connected to Nicola's disappearance". No relevant items have been unearthed at this time.
Two men, Nigel Barwell (51) and his brother-in-law Thomas O'Reilly (51), both from Coventry, were initially arrested in 1991 and were under the spotlight again as they stood trial in 2015 accused of Nicola Payne's murder. But after a five week trial both were acquitted unanimously of her murder.
Two men, Nigel Barwell (51) and his brother-in-law Thomas O'Reilly (51), both from Coventry, were initially arrested in 1991 and were under the spotlight again as they stood trial in 2015 accused of Nicola Payne's murder. But after a five week trial both were acquitted unanimously of her murder.
The investigative bodies believed they had collected enough credible evidence to present to the Crown Prosecution Service, but twelve jurors felt it was simply not enough for a conviction. However, the police have sworn never to close the case, reiterated by the new Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Dave Thompson, who is determined to search for answers until Nicola Payne's killer or killers are brought to justice.
The most likely answer, bearing in mind her body was not discovered by the Black Pad walkway, is an abduction to a secondary location. But with the acquittal of the two prime suspects in the case and every passing year, the heartbreak for the family becomes compounded. The hardest part is the not knowing.
Let us hope by next Christmas, John and Marilyn can bring their daughter home.
Anyone with information about Nicola’s disappearance should contact the investigation team 101 or call Crimestoppers, confidentially on 0800 555 111.
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/all-about/nicola-payne
The most likely answer, bearing in mind her body was not discovered by the Black Pad walkway, is an abduction to a secondary location. But with the acquittal of the two prime suspects in the case and every passing year, the heartbreak for the family becomes compounded. The hardest part is the not knowing.
Let us hope by next Christmas, John and Marilyn can bring their daughter home.
Anyone with information about Nicola’s disappearance should contact the investigation team 101 or call Crimestoppers, confidentially on 0800 555 111.
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/all-about/nicola-payne
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