On the third anniversary of his disappearance, North Yorkshire Police are again appealing for any information which could assist them locate missing Skipton man, Rory Johnson Hatfield.
Rory went missing three years ago, on a night out in York on Thursday 19 November 2015. He was last seen in the early hours of Friday 20 November 2015.
Since 2015, an extensive investigation has taken place into Rory’s disappearance. Due to the last sighting of Rory being in close proximity to the river, a number of river searches have been carried out by Yorkshire and the Humber Regional Underwater Search Team. Those searches have not proved conclusive and the investigation remains live and Rory remains as a missing person.
Rory is described as white, 5ft 11in tall, slim build, with short blond hair. He was aged 29 when he went missing. On the night he went missing he was wearing a round-neck dark coloured top, blue jeans and white and navy trainers.
Police have re-released CCTV footage of Rory’s last known movements, where at 12.32am he is seen heading into York with a friend, walking along Tower Street, past Clifford’s Tower. Six minutes later at 12.38am, the same CCTV camera picks him up on his own, leaving the city centre on the other side of Tower Street and crossing Skeldergate Bridge towards the Skeldergate/Terry Avenue area of York. Another CCTV camera picks Rory up a few minutes later at City Mills flats, on the other side of the river. This is the last known sighting of Rory.
Police continue to appeal for information about Rory’s movements that night, particularly the six minute time period between Rory heading into York and back out, along Tower Street and as he made his way over Skeldergate Bridge.
In a bid to jog people’s memory, police will be carrying out a social media ‘reconstruction’ and tweeting and posting Rory’s last known movements throughout the night of Monday 19 November 2018 into the early hours of Tuesday 20 November 2018 via their Twitter account @NYorksPolice and Facebook page www.facebook.com/NorthYorkshirePolice using the hashtag #Rory2015.
Superintendent Allan Wescott, senior investigating officer said: “We continue to appeal for information about Rory’s last known movements on the night of the 19 November 2015. Someone may have the smallest amount of information, that they believe is of no significance, that may actually unlock the answer to some of the questions we continue to have about that night. I also ask on behalf of the family, if anyone has received any information since the night he went missing, which may assist us in our continued efforts to search for Rory, please get in touch with police.
“While I appreciate we are asking people to cast their minds back three years, there were some events going on in the city that may jog people’s memory and help them recall where they were and what they were doing on the evening of Thursday 19 November or the early hours of Friday 20 November 2015.
“Thursday 19 November 2015 was the opening night of Thor’s tipi bar – a large tipi bar that is situated in Parliament Street for the Christmas period. The city’s Christmas lights were switched on that night and it was the first night of the York Christmas market, where a number of retail chalets are situated on the main shopping streets through York and free parking was on offer in council car parks. There would have also been late night shopping with a number of stores staying open in the city.
“I’d ask the public to try and recall their movements that night and if they remember anything at all which would assist our investigation, to please contact police on 101 and pass that information to the Force Control Room. Rory’s parents, Liz and Doug remain desperate for information as to his whereabouts and North Yorkshire Police continue to search for Rory. Please quote reference 12150207141
“If you would prefer to pass the information to Crimestoppers, they can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
