Disappearance of Lee Boxell

Lee Darren Boxell (born 16 February 1973)[2] is a British schoolboy who disappeared from the London Borough of Sutton in England on 10 September 1988, aged 15. He was last seen in Sutton High Street before saying he might go to watch a football match at Selhurst Park in Croydon. At the time of his disappearance, Lee was described as 5.5 ft (1.7 m), of slim build with light brown hair; he was wearing black jeans, a white Flintstones T-shirt and brown suede shoes.

Lee Boxell
At a party, 1987
Born
Lee Darren Boxell

(1973-02-16)16 February 1973
Surrey[1]
Disappeared10 September 1988 (aged 15)
Sutton, London, England
StatusMissing for 31 years, 11 months and 5 days
Parents
  • Peter Boxell (father)
  • Christine Boxell (mother)

Despite a lengthy police investigation and numerous appeals, there have been no further sightings of Lee since the day of his disappearance. His parents, Peter and Christine, have kept his bedroom exactly how it was the day he went missing.[3]

Disappearance

On the morning of Saturday 10 September 1988, Lee Boxell left his home in Cheam, South London, to meet a friend at 11am in nearby Sutton. Lee and his friend spent a couple of hours window shopping, and parted company at 1pm. When he was leaving, Lee said he might go to Selhurst Park football stadium to watch a match between Charlton Athletic F.C. and Millwall F.C..[4]

Despite extensive appeals on both Crimewatch and at Selhurst Park and other football stadiums, no one has come forward with any confirmed sightings of Lee at any of the football grounds in the area. However, a witness did come forward to say that they had spotted Lee outside Tesco on Sutton High Street (now an Asda) at 2:20pm. This meant it was unlikely that Lee would have made it to any of the football grounds in the area in time for a 3pm kick off. Lee has not been seen since.[4][5]

Subsequent events

In 2012, a further witness stated that Lee attended an unofficial youth club in the annexe of St Dunstan's Church in Cheam, known as "The Shed", which was previously unknown to the police. Following extensive inquires the police found out that paedophiles were operating in the area at the time Lee disappeared.[6] William Lambert, the St Dunstan's Church graveyard digger who ran The Shed, was jailed for 11 years in 2011, when he was aged 75, after sexually abusing four girls who attended the club.[7] Between June and September 2012 the police excavated part of the St Dunstan's Church graveyard, which resumed in April 2013.[8]

In 2013, to coincide with what would have been Lee's 40th birthday Crimewatch featured another appeal for information, working on the new theory that Lee attended The Shed on the day he disappeared.[9][10][5] Following this appeal, there was an allegation of sexual abuse never before reported, and police are now working on the theory that "Lee may have died after intervening to try to stop sexual abuse at a youth club in Cheam".[11][12]

In 2018, a Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed that cold case detectives had interviewed a potential witness and new information was being investigated that could lead to Lee's remains being found.[13]

In 2019, Lee featured in a missing person campaign promoted by Italian football club, AS Roma.[14]

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See also
  • List of people who disappeared

References
  1. "£20,000 Reward for Missing Boy Information". ITV News. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  2. "£20,000 Reward for Missing Boy Information". ITV News. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  3. "Lee Boxell's parents fear their missing son was murdered". www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  4. "The Missing Teen Whose Cold Case Was Revived with the Probe of a 'Warlock' Paedophile Ring". www.vice.com. 3 June 2019.
  5. BBC One - Crimewatch, 14/02/2013 - Lee Boxell disappearance
  6. BBC News - Paedophiles active when Lee Boxell vanished in 1988
  7. "Missing or Murdered: Channel 5 Show Looks at Lee Boxell Disappearance from Sutton Over 30 Years Aago". My London News. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  8. Graveyard searched for signs of Lee Boxell, who went missing in Sutton 24 years ago - Crime - News - London Evening Standard
  9. "New appeal for missing person - Metropolitan Police Service". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-03-07.
  10. BBC News - Lee Boxell case: Fresh appeal 25 years on for missing teen
  11. "Crimewatch reconstruction on missing person Lee Boxell - Metropolitan Police Service". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2013-03-07.
  12. BBC News - Lee Boxell detectives 'close in on two persons of interest'
  13. Pettifor, Tom (2018-08-03). "Police get a breakthrough in hunt for missing boy 30 years after he vanished". mirror. Retrieved 2018-08-05.
  14. "AS Roma: Why did Italian club decide to announce signings alongside missing children?". BBC SPORT. 26 November 2019.
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