The Mystery of Corrie McKeague

between 3am and 8am on Saturday, September 24, around the time of the last confirmed sighting of Corrie at 3.25am.

I keep hearing the 'cut off point' is 8am. Why?

If he fell asleep in an alleyway for a couple of hours then why couldn't he fall asleep again a bit later on and wake up after 8....

According to Tony at 08:00 the Bury St Edmunds street cleaning team meet at the horseshoe/bin area so I guess that is one main reason for the cut-off?

Going to be interesting to get feedback from the locals with the CCTV. Tony has now talked about the images of some/all people being in black and white and so everyone is wondering where these people were in relation to Corrie as the two clips of him were both in colour.

Not a good enough reason though is it, really? The cleaners could've missed him/not saw anything etc.

That's a weird one from Tony about the CCTV then.  

Well the area is small with nowhere to go so if this team meet there and Corrie was still there they wouldn't be able to miss him, surely?

Freedom wrote:This case has attracted comparatively little publicity.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38045742

I think this at the end of the article sums it up:

John Pape thinks the failings in the investigation can only be explained by poor understanding of the lives of gay men, and even prejudice.
"That maybe they thought: 'Oh that's what gay guys do'.

Cheers for the pic. Well he could've clambered up on the roof or crawled under a parked car etc I guess?

What time were the bins taken again?

Just one recycling bin (with cardboard in it) was picked up that morning at between ~04:00 and 04:20. This is 35 minutes after Corrie walked to those bins and the driver seemingly didn't see him or anything/anyone else.

It is possible he clambered onto the roof as it is known that the odd vagrant as done so in the past. I think it has been said there is partial CCTV coverage of the roof (a camera mounted on the museum) because of this problem. He would have to come back down the way he went eventually, though. That or face a 20 foot drop at the front of those shops...

We don't know if any cars were parked there at 03:25 like in the daytime picture I posted. I assume they are cars owned by workers at the shop with permission to park there.

The problem this case has is that the police have literally said nothing and what the family have said over the weeks has been getting more and more contradictory. This could simply be down to having to be careful what they say and tripping themselves up and having to correct things. I just think it wrong the family have been left to do the investigation.

Could he have climbed onto the bin lorry without anyone noticing or being caught on the CCTV?

Hitching a ride so to speak. I once climbed onto the back of a road sweeper to try and get home after a night out when I was about his age. Could he have done something similar and fallen off somewhere?

Here's a picture of the 'pod'.

Andrew wrote:http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2016-11-24/cctv-images-of-individuals-seen-on-morning-corrie-disappeared-go-on-show-to-public/

They're being a bit stingy with them. I can guess at why, but until they are released to the wider public guessing is all I can do.

The chap running off @1:45ish on the vid looks a bit suspicious....

Could it even be Corrie in a change of clothes?

I'm amazed that apparently the Police have not got the resources to view the CCTV footage from 08:00am onward...

Cheers, Andrew. Apparently, the full set of clips/stills is 12 minutes long versus the 2 minutes shown here so a lot left out. From comments on Facebook there is footage of a large group of mostly lads in that bin area 10-15 minutes after Corrie is seen to go there.

I think the police have a good idea what happened but are stuck because of the amount of people there and that any incident isn't caught on CCTV so need witnesses (the people we see in these released clips)?

TheTruthWillOut wrote:Cheers, Andrew. Apparently, the full set of clips/stills is 12 minutes long versus the 2 minutes shown here so a lot left out. From comments on Facebook there is footage of a large group of mostly lads in that bin area 10-15 minutes after Corrie is seen to go there.

I think the police have a good idea what happened but are stuck because of the amount of people there and that any incident isn't caught on CCTV so need witnesses (the people we see in these released clips)?

But there has to be a body somewhere surely? Either left there or removed somehow. That doesn't leave many options.

You'd think that they'd release the whole 12 minutes worth into the domain. Surely that would speed up things a bit?

Do you think that the Police think that he was involved in some altercation with this large group of lads then?

I think Corrie needs his own thread (Freedom says she will transfer all the other posts over)

http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/corrie_mckeague_s_mother_says_it_is_outrageous_more_government_money_has_not_been_spent_on_the_search_for_an_active_british_serviceman_1_4791936

Corrie McKeague’s mother says it is “outrageous” the Government has not spent more money helping to search for the RAF Honington airman who has been missing more than two months.

New CCTV footage has surfaced showing 23 people police would like to speak with who could hold vital information to help find the missing 23-year-old.

As a serving police officer, Corrie’s mother Nicola Urquhart said she had to balance her instincts as an officer with those of a mother.

“Some of it is really difficult. I know of the restrictions of budgets and all the rest of it that police have and I understand it and respect it but now I don’t care because I’m a mum,” she said.

“It’s not right that the Government can spend hundreds of thousands and millions of pounds redecorating their offices but they can’t get a couple of people to sit and watch CCTV for an active serviceman. That’s outrageous. Look at the support of the public who want to help and do something.”

Officers work to identify individuals seen on CCTV in the Brentgovel Street and Short Brackland area of the town between 3am and 8am.
Police have said they are viewing footage of the area up until midday after Corrie vanished.

Nicola added: “That needs to be viewed as a matter of urgency and that’s at a Government level. They need to give more resources.”

Suffolk Constabulary placed a pod next to McDonald’s today, close to where the Scotsman was last seen in the early hours of Saturday, September 24, showing passers-by the footage. The pod is also there tomorrow.

Corrie was on a night out in Bury on September 23 with friends.

He was separated from the group and bought a takeaway from Pizza Mama Mia on St Andrews Street North. He was spotted on CCTV at 1.20am with the takeaway and then slept in the doorway of Hughes electrical store, in Brentgovel Street, for a couple of hours. His last sighting was on CCTV at 3.24am, when he turned into an alleyway near Short Brackland.

“It’s a week before payday, his puppy is in his bedroom and his car is a three-minute walk away,” said Nicola.

He’s made plans for two weeks’ time for his brother to come down. He’s bought flights to go back home for Halloween and for Christmas.

“I had just been with him the week before because it was his birthday. We had stayed at the barracks with him and gone out in a boat on the Norfolk Broads.”

As people queued down the street to view the footage, Nicola said there was no evidence her son’s disappearance was deliberate on his part.

“There’s not one bit of evidence that shows it. Every part of his night is covered by CCTV until he goes in there at 3.24am,” she said.

Police are distributing a poster to aid in the search for missing Corrie McKeague
The force is facing a busy time currently, with a number of large-scale operations underway, including a shooting in Ipswich this week and a double-murder investigation at Weybread.

A spokeswoman said: “Suffolk Police are facing a busy time but due to the importance of the enquiry we have the capability to boost resilience where required and are using special support from the RAF.”

Det Supt Elliott added: “Today’s an important day. It’s two months now since Corrie went missing. We put the pod in Bury St Edmunds town centre as we know it’s a very busy time with the Christmas market there.”

She said they were reviewing 1,100 hours of CCTV footage.

She urged anyone with information to call 01473 782019.

Thousands of people have been supporting Corrie’s family in Suffolk, handing out leaflets and volunteering.

Nicola said her son touched people’s hearts.

“He’s been like that his entire life,” she said. “He just smiles and he melts people’s hearts. Everybody that meets him adores him. That’s Corrie, he just wants to be loved by everyone. He always goes out of his way to be fantastic and fabulous and a nice person to be around. He will talk to anyone because that’s just what he loves.”

The Ministry of Defence has not currently responded to a request for a comment.

However, Bury’s MP Jo Churchill is parliamentary private secretary to defence minister Mike Penning.

She said earlier this month: “I have taken it as my role to ensure that Corrie’s disappearance remains at the forefront for the Ministry of Defence, and that the department has been assisting the ongoing police investigation.”

Cheers for sorting all that out. I was actually joking but it's good to have it all together.

A couple of comments from Corrie's mum, Nicola:

Nicola Urquhart
47 mins
THE POLICE HUB WILL BE OPEN FROM 1000 (friday) the police have agreed to keep it open later but I don't have a definite closing time as yet. To all those that couldn't see it today. If you can, please come back tomorrow. I will put an update on the very second I find out when it will close.
If any one would be able to help with leaflets. Again please just head down. I would like to try to get leaflets put on vehicles if possible.
Thank you so so much again x x x

Nicola Urquhart with Corrie Mckeague.
1 hr
It's said that you can't choose your family or that it's only family if it's blood. I can't think of a truly more ridiculous statement now. Family is who chooses to care about you, who puts you before them. Corrie has a huge family back home in Scotland and a huge family in the RAF nationally, but I am am so utterly humbled at the family on Facebook that have taken corrie into their hearts.
Saying thank you feels so utterly inadequate. But to each and every single person who ever you are and I'm so sorry I can't reach you all. Thank you. Thank you so very much for your kind words, your thought prayers cuddles and love for the physical time people give in helping with posters and getting corries face out there, to the passion you show when someone is disrespectful on here and for your determination to make sure your information is taken seriously. Thank you x

The family haven't been left to do the investigation, yet again lack of comment from the police is being taken as lack of action. As previously stated police resources aren't infinate and with such a resounding lack of evidence what can they investigate without going over the same ground again and again. When he initially went missing he wouldn't have been deemed particularly vulnerable, he was of age ,no mental health issues etc Indeed as military personnel he could have gone AWOL I do notice the original implication of a terrorist kidnapping has been quietly dropped from the families statements. Personally I am of the ' met a drunken demise ' school of thought, I suspect the police feel the same but are trying to protect the family

Whilst generally I agrees resources are finite, in this case the police are badly lacking and even this hub that's been setup and seemingly being run by a couple of beat bobbies (when they turn up)

Look at this comment from the Find Corrie Facebook:

Monique Sandry I made a special trip to Bury town centre to visit the hub at 9am this morning, not having seen Nicola's message overnight advising that it would only open at 10am. Others were also waiting, including one young man who'd come specially from Stowmarket by train to view the cctv footage and hand out flyers. One police lady turned up at 10am but she didn't have the keys to the hub, so we were still unable to access it or the cctv equipment. I stayed until 10.30, looking through some of the stills taken from the cctv in a folder the police lady had in her car. When I left the hub was still not open. My point is that there still seems to be a distinct lack of organisation about the police enquiries, if the hub is a) not opening when advertised and b) closing earlier than advertised. It is very dispiriting.

 

Maybe this whole hub thing is just to appease the family but then I would expect the police to publicly state they don't believe it should, or needs, to be done. They have limited the CCTV viewing "window" to between 03:25-08:00 because they lack the staff to view any more. Apparently they are looking at extending it up to midday Saturday but nothing is confirmed yet.

If police have different ideas of what might have happened to Corrie again I would say if they did then why not say so (like SYP's "professional opinion" in the Ben Needham case)

If it turns out this is a AWOL case (I really don't think it is right now) then I think his punishment should set an example and he should do an extra 10 years unpaid RAF service!

Forgot the keys to the hub. Blimey.

I certainly get the impression there would be no hub if it wasn't for the family's persuasion / intervention etc.

Andrew wrote:

Forgot the keys to the hub. Blimey.

I certainly get the impression there would be no hub if it wasn't for the family's persuasion / intervention etc.

I'm really not convinced setting up this Pod has a great deal of value in progressing with Corrie's disappearance.

I'm nowhere local of course and don't know the area, but seems to me there is no CCTV showing Corrie after 3.30 am anywhere in BSE.   Now the police say they will check CCTV until noon Saturday.  That will be a huge task but they are being criticised for lack of manpower.
 
Does anyone have a clue how long would it take two or three employees to recheck over 1,000 hours of CCTV as they are now apparently doing - then extend this to watch another 4 hours of what, a hundred cameras. ?  It is a huge task, taking many man hours.

I agree with PMR's post that Corrie wasn't considered a vulnerable person.  What is the common outcome of a missing young male adult after a night out ?

I've looked through the facebook posts and hundreds of people say they want to help.  Are they prevented from organising public searches outside the area perhaps concentrating on the route Corrie possibly took back to base ?
I just think this might be more valuable and give people a sense of purpose than complaining about the lack of proper police investigation.

bluebell wrote:I'm really not convinced setting up this Pod has a great deal of value in progressing with Corrie's disappearance.

I agree in as much as the police' heart doesn't seem to be in it. Could be for very good reasons but why they say nothing? Corrie's family (remember his mother is a copper) will continue to push for more.

I can't see her doing this if there weren't truth to it....unless we start questioning the family.

bluebell wrote:I'm nowhere local of course and don't know the area, but seems to me there is no CCTV showing Corrie after 3.30 am anywhere in BSE.   Now the police say they will check CCTV until noon Saturday.  That will be a huge task but they are being criticised for lack of manpower.
 
Does anyone have a clue how long would it take two or three employees to recheck over 1,000 hours of CCTV as they are now apparently doing - then extend this to watch another 4 hours of what, a hundred cameras. ?  It is a huge task, taking many man hours.

This shouldn't be the case. There is software the BSE council have (if not then certainly SY should) that can instantly find e.g. a pink shirted person or silver car? Like searching Google! Frankly, the claim about having to watch it in real-time is BS. Sure once they have found all possible examples in a search they could work forward/backwards to get everything in context (for court for example) Check out the video below and read the link for what resources the police should have at their disposal [/quote]



http://www.clearview-communications.com/cctv/facial-recognition-video-analytics

Thanks TTWO, but I feel his mum being a copper and his uncle previously in the Intelligence Service is only being of value in their insistence in having the POD up, and getting continuing publicity.

I read elsewhere that there was a 'group of youths' in the Bin area around that time (3.30 ish).  It seems to me that either the CCTV from the police or the shopping centre would show them, but these possible shots haven't been shown publicly?  So do the police have info they aren't revealing ?

The silver car should be easy enough to trace that, but I thought the cars had been identified anyway ?

I have watched the 2 mins of CCTV shown at the POD.  I also think Corrie must be quite distinctive in his clothes that night, and should stand out if seen.

In the uncle's podcast interview he speaks of some type of "rehabilitation" centre (I think) close to the Bin area on B St.  Is it possible undercover police were engaged in something at that time?   Is it possible that a US services person was involved at that time?


ETA - compare the technical detail the police provided in the Sadie Hartley case for instance

Loys of questions, but I enjoyed the clips you posted.

@Bluebell

It seems to me the Suffolk police have taken a leaf out of Gerry's book...confusion is good!

You ask good questions but I don't know where to start to answer them.

You are right about the Sadie Hartley case. 50 detectives, 4 days and done and dusted with a bow on top. Granted there was a embedded film crew within the Blackburn police but still. Also the Suffolk police have a 10 year old cold case (Luke Durbin) that is very similar to Corrie's case so maybe they just aren't very good when people disappear?

I'm struggling to understand why these 'group of youths' have not been identified then? Or shown publicly for that matter?

You'd think a group of youths that hang around in the early hours would be quite easy to establish and therefore rule out (or in) etc.

Did anyone else not think that the bloke seen running from or to somewhere was a bit suspicious? Although from what I gather there's been no time stamp on that to confirm whether it was before or after Corrie was last seen on CCTV?

ETA - also the clip @ 1:46 (i think it is) when there appears to be someone in camera shot lurking as the bloke runs past?