6 unanswered questions as body found in hunt for mum Christine Stenson, 66, who vanished after lunch with sister
MYSTERY surrounds the discovery of a body found in the search for a mum who vanished after enjoying lunch with her sister.
Christine Stenson, 66, met her sibling for a coffee before she was dropped off at her home in Wheatley, South Yorkshire, on August 12.
But she vanished while on a walk shortly after, sparking a desperate search that lasted more than two weeks.
South Yorkshire Police issued multiple public appeals, CCTV images and a desperate plea from her family in the hopes of finding her.
Christine’s husband Glen, daughter Lisa and siblings Gary, Gillian, Paul and Sandra were all said to be “heartbroken” by her disappearance.
Police provided a timeline of her last known movements through the village up until 6.03pm on August 12, when she was last seen on a camera.
However, a body was sadly found in the search for Christine on Tuesday.
Formal identification is yet to take place, but a number of unanswered questions surround the case.
It remains unknown why Christine disappeared while on a walk minutes after being dropped off in the village from the lunch.
Mystery also surrounds why she was seen walking towards a cemetery, while police have not yet revealed where a body was located – nor why it took more than two weeks to find and the cause of the tragic death.
What happened at lunch?
On the day of her disappearance, Christine is understood to have gone for a coffee and lunch with her sister.
It is not known where or when the siblings met for lunch.
Christine was subsequently given a lift and dropped off in Hawke Road at 5.05pm.
However, she was then seen on CCTV for the final time just 58 minutes later.
Christine’s four siblings are all said to be devastated.
In an earlier public appeal, South Yorkshire Police Detective Superintendent Eleanor Welsh said: “Christine has a husband, Glen, a daughter called Lisa, and siblings in Gary, Gillian, Paul and Sandra – all of whom have been left heartbroken by Christine’s disappearance.
“It has now been two weeks since Christine went missing and I want to take this opportunity to urge the public to please get in touch with us if you have any information that could help us find her.”
Why did she walk towards a cemetery?
South Yorkshire Police issued a timeline of Christine’s last known movements as part of efforts to find her.
After leaving an address in Hawke Road at around 5.05pm, the mum began walking along Cantley Lane, close to the A638.
She is understood to have been walking towards the Rose Hill Cemetery.
Christine entered the cemetery, described as “a tranquil site for burials and the internment of ashes” shortly after 6pm.
A CCTV image released by cops shows her walking along a pavement close to the cemetery while wearing a black vest top with a floral pattern design and orange shorts.
Who were the last people who saw her?
Police released a CCTV image showing the last-known sighting of Christine on Tuesday.
It showed the mum walking along a pavement in Ascot Avenue, near the junction with Sandown Gardens, at around 6pm – near Rose Hill Cemetery.
The picture shows cars parked along each side of the residential road, as well as a bus stop and green areas.
It is not known who the last person to see Christine was, or when the CCTV was provided to police.
Why did it take two weeks to find a body?
Christine vanished while out on a walk on August 12.
A large-scale search operation has been ongoing since, until a body was found on Tuesday – 15 days later.
In an update on the search, police said: “Officers searching for missing 66-year-old woman Christine, who was last seen on Monday, August 12, have today (Tuesday, August 27) found a body.
“While formal identification is yet to take place, officers believe it to be that of Christine.”
Cause of death
Formal identification is still ongoing after police found a body on Tuesday.
A cause of death is also yet to be established.
When a body is found in a missing person case, a post-mortem examination will normally take place.
The medical examination is conducted to establish the cause of a person’s death.
The discovery of a body will usually be reporter to a coroner, whose job it is to identify who died, along with how, when and where.