WEBVTT

1
00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:15.679
Hi, and welcome back to The
Unseen Podcast, a podcast dedicated to missing

2
00:00:15.720 --> 00:00:22.399
people, unresolved cases and UK true
crime. This is day four of twelve

3
00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:27.280
days of missing person cases throughout December, and today we're going to be covering

4
00:00:27.320 --> 00:00:32.119
the disappearance of thirty nine year old
Leanne Smith from white Haven in Cumbria.

5
00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:38.679
There is not as much information about
Leanne's disappearance as other episodes. However,

6
00:00:38.759 --> 00:00:42.280
I want to shine a light on
as many missing people as possible and so

7
00:00:42.439 --> 00:00:47.560
I still wanted to cover it.
This episode is about a missing person and

8
00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:52.719
so does not contain any graphic details, but listener discretion is always advised.

9
00:00:54.799 --> 00:00:59.119
White Haven is a port town located
on the northwest coast of England in the

10
00:00:59.159 --> 00:01:03.680
County of Cumbria. Cumbria is best
known for the Lake District National Park,

11
00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:11.400
which attracts visitors and tourists from across
the country and internationally. Whitehaven is located

12
00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:17.439
around thirty eight miles from Carlyle and
around forty five miles from Barrow in Furnace.

13
00:01:19.480 --> 00:01:23.079
In the past, Whitehaven was known
for the coal industry, but today

14
00:01:23.319 --> 00:01:26.680
is more well known for being close
to the cellar Field Nuclear Complex, which

15
00:01:26.719 --> 00:01:34.439
is a large employer in the area. Rydell Avenue is situated close to Saltham

16
00:01:34.519 --> 00:01:38.840
Bay, which is a harbour in
the town center. Rydell Avenue is where

17
00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:48.079
thirty nine year old Leanne Smith lived
in twenty nineteen. On September fifteenth,

18
00:01:48.120 --> 00:01:53.280
twenty nineteen, Leanne left her home
on Rydell Avenue at around six pm.

19
00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:59.959
She was wearing a blue coat,
carrying a handbag and had her black shoulder

20
00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:05.519
her in a ponytail. Those that
knew Leanne did not know that this was

21
00:02:05.560 --> 00:02:10.479
going to be the last time that
anyone saw her. Her family were concerned

22
00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:15.319
when she didn't return to her home
and this appeared to be out of character.

23
00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:21.319
When Leanne still had not returned to
her home, her family contacted police

24
00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:27.240
to inform them that she was missing. Police did daughter door inquiries to try

25
00:02:27.240 --> 00:02:30.879
and locate her and also brought in
specialist help given the location that she had

26
00:02:30.919 --> 00:02:38.120
disappeared. It reported that during the
police investigation into Leanne's disappearance, the strategies

27
00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:45.599
used included checking coastal, rural and
urban areas around white Haven. They also

28
00:02:45.719 --> 00:02:51.840
used specialist trained officers, police dogs, police drones and helicopters to try and

29
00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:58.280
find Leanne, as well as some
assistance from the Coastguard. Given that Whitehaven

30
00:02:58.360 --> 00:03:01.879
is so close to several bodies of
water, it was important that police investigated

31
00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:07.520
every angle for Leanne's disappearance, and
it appeared that police did take it seriously.

32
00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:14.800
There has not been a lot published
about Leanne's background and so it's difficult

33
00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:19.240
to say why Leanne would have disappeared. However, it's clear that her family

34
00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:23.639
were worried about her and that they
cared deeply about her. In March twenty

35
00:03:23.719 --> 00:03:29.159
twenty, Stuart, Leanne's brother,
spoke to The Times and Star about his

36
00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:35.039
sister's disappearance. He said, we're
all struggling. We sit and wait to

37
00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:38.919
hear if anybody knows something, but
there's been nothing. We're all in bits.

38
00:03:39.879 --> 00:03:44.560
It's so difficult. We just want
her home. The whole family is

39
00:03:44.599 --> 00:03:51.360
begging her to please come home.
In the same month, Inspector Jim Lloyd

40
00:03:51.479 --> 00:03:57.520
stated, we continue to assess all
lines of inquiries they come in. I

41
00:03:57.560 --> 00:04:01.000
would urge anyone with any information in
regards add in Leanne's whereabouts, no matter

42
00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:06.680
how small, to contact police.
Over the next week there will be PCSO's

43
00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:10.919
going door to door again in the
area where le Anne was last seen.

44
00:04:12.039 --> 00:04:15.879
This is to try and gather further
information from the public which they might not

45
00:04:15.960 --> 00:04:21.160
have recalled at the time or thought
relevant during previous appeals and inquiries. We

46
00:04:21.240 --> 00:04:26.680
have fast approaching the festive holidays and
with Christmas only a week away, the

47
00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:30.720
community will be quite rightly turning their
thoughts to spending time with their family and

48
00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:35.040
friends. Leanne's family do not have
that luxury of that family contact to look

49
00:04:35.079 --> 00:04:42.680
forward to. Cumbria Constabulary continued to
try and obtain answers for them. If

50
00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:46.759
anyone does have any information about Leanne's
whereabouts, we would ask them to contact

51
00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:54.480
us on one oh one. In
August twenty twenty, Leanne's brother Stuart spoke

52
00:04:54.519 --> 00:05:00.920
to Whitehaven News about his sister's disappearance. He said, out of all my

53
00:05:00.040 --> 00:05:03.399
family and people we know, I
think it's just me who hasn't given up

54
00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:08.439
hope yet. My parents are starting
to come to terms with her being gone

55
00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:12.240
now and accepting that she might have
taken her own life and there might not

56
00:05:12.360 --> 00:05:16.600
ever be any more news. I
traveled down to Derbyshire for my dad's birthday

57
00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:21.000
and everybody was talking about her and
worrying about her. I just want to

58
00:05:21.000 --> 00:05:25.759
know she's safe. Even a text
or a call, anything would put us

59
00:05:25.800 --> 00:05:30.160
at ease. We're all just hanging
about now and we don't know whether she's

60
00:05:30.199 --> 00:05:33.480
alive or dead. We want to
believe there's still a chance she could walk

61
00:05:33.519 --> 00:05:40.439
through the door, but it's just
getting harder and harder. Stewart appealed to

62
00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:44.160
the public for help to try and
find his sister and hopes that they will

63
00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:47.920
have more information. He said,
please keep the memory of her going.

64
00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:51.879
If you see her or hear about
anyone seeing her, please get in touch

65
00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:56.399
with us, even if it's just
a message to let us know she's okay.

66
00:05:57.079 --> 00:06:08.920
We just want to know she's safe. It's clear how devastated Leanne's family

67
00:06:09.040 --> 00:06:12.839
is about her disappearance and how much
they just want to find out what happened

68
00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:17.639
to her. Time has continued to
pass in Leanne's disappearance. However, her

69
00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:21.800
family have done everything and anything they
can to try and locate her and find

70
00:06:21.800 --> 00:06:28.040
out what happened. In September of
this year, a public search for Leanne

71
00:06:28.120 --> 00:06:31.680
was launched to try and find her. At the time that she disappeared,

72
00:06:31.800 --> 00:06:35.560
Leanne's family and her neighbors pitched in
to try and find her. However,

73
00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:40.800
this public search was launched by a
member of the public named Lee Smith.

74
00:06:42.519 --> 00:06:46.680
Lee explained to the News and Star, I know how to search for people.

75
00:06:46.040 --> 00:06:49.560
I was researching other people who are
missing and came across Leanne and I

76
00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:55.199
got in touch with her brother and
best friend. I've done three searches at

77
00:06:55.279 --> 00:07:00.720
Kelson Woodhouse in Whitehaven to see if
she has been missed Somehow. Whitehaven is

78
00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:05.040
a nightmare to search because of all
the steep inclines and vegetation. I'm hoping

79
00:07:05.079 --> 00:07:10.399
a few people turn up on Saturday. I want to focus on Arrowmouth Road

80
00:07:10.519 --> 00:07:16.120
and Woodhouse Quarry. This public search
drummed up more attention for Leanne's disappearance,

81
00:07:16.439 --> 00:07:20.279
and despite the four years that have
passed, members of the public did turn

82
00:07:20.399 --> 00:07:25.240
up to try and find her,
and it shows how many people care about

83
00:07:25.240 --> 00:07:30.959
her and want to help her family. It's reported that Leanne's father died recently

84
00:07:31.240 --> 00:07:34.800
and that sadly he passed away without
finding out what happened to his daughter.

85
00:07:36.920 --> 00:07:42.079
This must be devastating for the family
and makes finding out more information about her

86
00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:48.079
disappearance all the more important. While
there is little public information available about Leanne's

87
00:07:48.079 --> 00:07:54.319
disappearance. I think it's so important
to cover everyone's cases as equally as I

88
00:07:54.439 --> 00:08:01.480
can. Leanne's disappearance is relatively recent
in comparison to other cases that I cover,

89
00:08:01.879 --> 00:08:05.439
and there will be someone out there
listening who may be able to help.

90
00:08:05.639 --> 00:08:09.959
It would be amazing if Leanne's family
could get the closure and the answers

91
00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:13.480
they need. So if you have
any information about the disappearance of thirty nine

92
00:08:13.560 --> 00:08:18.079
year old Leanne Smith from Whitehaven,
then please contact police on one oh one

93
00:08:18.439 --> 00:08:24.079
or contact the charity in Missing People. I will link her profile on Missing

94
00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:28.079
People in the show notes for you
to have a look at. Thank you

95
00:08:28.120 --> 00:08:33.799
for listening to this episode four of
twelve episodes of Missing People throughout December.

96
00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:39.559
Look out for episode five coming in
two days. If you'd like to support

97
00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:43.799
the podcast further than you can on
Patreon and contribute to the exclusive polls to

98
00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:48.120
get extra bonus episodes every month.
You can also get access to new episodes

99
00:08:48.200 --> 00:08:52.480
early and ad free. You can
use the link in the show notes to

100
00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:56.120
visit Patreon and see what we offer. You can also support us by reviewing

101
00:08:56.159 --> 00:09:01.759
the podcast wherever you listen, including
Spotify, and also just share the episodes

102
00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:07.360
You can subscribe on YouTube and follow
us on social media. As always,

103
00:09:07.559 --> 00:10:05.039
I'm Caprice and this has been unseen
the st