WEBVTT 1 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:15.400 Hi, and welcome back to The Unseen Podcast, a podcast dedicated to missing 2 00:00:15.480 --> 00:00:21.640 people, unresolved cases, and UK true crime. Today's day three of twelve 3 00:00:21.640 --> 00:00:27.239 missing person episodes throughout December. We are going to be covering the disappearance of 4 00:00:27.359 --> 00:00:33.560 forty year old Bruce Gapper from his home in West Yorkshire in nineteen ninety nine. 5 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:37.240 His disappearance has affected his whole family and they are desperate to know what 6 00:00:37.320 --> 00:00:42.679 happened to him and where he is. This episode is about a missing person 7 00:00:42.759 --> 00:00:47.399 and so does not contain any graphic descriptions. However, listener discretion is our 8 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:57.159 ways advised. Jewsbury Moore is a district of Dewsbury in West Yorkshire. Jewsbury 9 00:00:57.240 --> 00:01:03.000 is a market town close to the city of Wakefield in the town of Huddersfield. 10 00:01:03.840 --> 00:01:07.120 The population of Jewsbury Moore is around six thousand people and is largely a 11 00:01:07.159 --> 00:01:15.280 residential area close to Jewsbury Country Park. In nineteen ninety nine, forty year 12 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:21.920 old Bruce Gapper was living in groves Hall Road in Jewsbury Moore. Bruce was 13 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:26.599 very close to his family and his sister Wendy has recently explained to Yorkshire Live 14 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:32.200 that she and her brother were particularly close. They were so close that before 15 00:01:32.200 --> 00:01:37.959 Bruce moved to groves Hall Road, they had lived together. Wendy explained about 16 00:01:37.959 --> 00:01:42.400 her brother he loved fishing and was a coind collector and liked model cars. 17 00:01:44.040 --> 00:01:49.680 He had lots of hobbies. Wendy described her brother as a very kind person 18 00:01:49.719 --> 00:01:53.599 who cared about her and their other two sisters, as well as all of 19 00:01:53.640 --> 00:01:59.560 his nieces and nephews. She stated in the same article, he was kind 20 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:02.599 and he really loved his nieces and nephews and was so good to them. 21 00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:07.680 She also described Bruce as always looking for the best in people, but also 22 00:02:07.759 --> 00:02:14.759 explained that he could be quite gullible as well. Bruce had been married twice 23 00:02:14.800 --> 00:02:17.639 before, however, didn't have any children of his own, and Wendy explained 24 00:02:17.639 --> 00:02:22.360 that all he wanted was a family, and so he lavished attention on all 25 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:28.280 of his nieces and nephews. Bruce was a former driver in the RAF and 26 00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:32.199 in nineteen ninety nine he was working as a lorry driver. He was a 27 00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:37.840 hard working and responsible person who cared about his family and kept in touch with 28 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:43.039 those close to him. On the morning of Monday, the fifteenth of March 29 00:02:43.159 --> 00:02:46.199 nineteen ninety nine, Bruce was due at work as usual. However, he 30 00:02:46.280 --> 00:02:51.639 did not turn up for his shift. This was unusual for him, and 31 00:02:51.719 --> 00:02:54.120 his colleagues did think it was odd that he had not arrived as normal. 32 00:02:55.599 --> 00:03:00.319 It seemed out of character and made those that knew him concern about his whereabouts. 33 00:03:01.560 --> 00:03:05.879 He was a responsible person, particularly with his job, and it was 34 00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:10.560 not something that he would usually do. When Bruce had still not been located 35 00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:15.759 by Tuesday, the sixteenth of March, this created many red flags for those 36 00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:22.080 that knew him. These concerns would turn into genuine worries for Bruce's safety when 37 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:27.479 it was discovered that something of interest had been found. On the Monday, 38 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:30.639 when Bruce had failed to turn up for his shift, a member of the 39 00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:36.680 public came across a car. The car had fire damage and nobody was inside 40 00:03:36.680 --> 00:03:44.080 it. It was quickly discovered that this was Bruce Gapper's car, Detective Chief 41 00:03:44.120 --> 00:03:50.039 Inspector Mark McManus told the BBC in twenty fifteen. Bruce's car was found by 42 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:53.159 a member of the public on the Monday morning at the junction of Castle Hillside 43 00:03:53.240 --> 00:04:00.360 and Lum Lane, near the Castle Hill Monument in Huddersfield. This location is 44 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:04.360 around nine miles from Dewsbury More and would take just under half an hour to 45 00:04:04.439 --> 00:04:11.800 drive there. Why Bruce's car had been found there or where Bruce himself was 46 00:04:11.800 --> 00:04:16.199 was unknown. This was an alarming discovery, given that the car did have 47 00:04:16.279 --> 00:04:21.560 fire damage and Bruce was still missing. It was evident that the car had 48 00:04:21.560 --> 00:04:29.000 been partly set alight and this was a serious concern. Wendy, Bruce's sister, 49 00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:32.959 told Yorkshire Live, I got a call from police. I remember standing 50 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:36.680 there and shaking. It was so out of character for him to disappear. 51 00:04:38.839 --> 00:04:43.360 The last person to speak to him was on the Sunday morning. His car 52 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:46.439 was found with his inhaler and glasses in there, all the things he could 53 00:04:46.439 --> 00:04:54.480 not do without. He loved his car. The fact that Bruce's essential belongings 54 00:04:54.480 --> 00:04:57.680 had been left in the car was something that his family and the police were 55 00:04:57.680 --> 00:05:03.839 immediately concerned about. Police began an investigation into Bruce's disappearance and began to lay 56 00:05:03.879 --> 00:05:09.079 out what they knew about Bruce's movements and who may have seen him or spoken 57 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:15.560 to him before his disappearance. A timeline was drawn up, with police tracking 58 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:18.920 down as many people as they could speak to. It was known that on 59 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:23.680 Saturday, the thirteenth of March nineteen ninety nine, he had been at the 60 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:29.240 Frontier night club in Badley. This was somewhere that Bruce enjoyed visiting, and 61 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:33.399 he would go there regularly. This was less than three miles from Jewsbury More, 62 00:05:33.480 --> 00:05:39.519 where he lived. The fact that Bruce had visited there on the Saturday 63 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:43.160 night therefore, was usual for him, and he had been seen leaving at 64 00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:48.360 around two thirty a m. Early on the Sunday morning. The police discovered 65 00:05:48.399 --> 00:05:51.720 that Bruce had then spoken to his dad at around eleven ten a m. 66 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:57.920 That Sunday morning. It would appear that this was the last time that anyone 67 00:05:57.959 --> 00:06:02.040 who knew him spoke to him. He was then spotted at around half past 68 00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:08.639 one on that Sunday afternoon, a neighbor noticed him unloading some shopping from his 69 00:06:08.759 --> 00:06:14.920 car. At around three point thirty pm, a friend called on Bruce its 70 00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:17.800 home. They waited for him at the door, but there was no answer, 71 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:24.199 so the friend assumed that he wasn't in What had happened to Bruce in 72 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:28.759 that two hours between being seen unloading his shopping and then not being at home. 73 00:06:30.920 --> 00:06:35.319 The next trace of Bruce was the use of his bank card. This 74 00:06:35.480 --> 00:06:41.360 transaction was logged at three forty seven am on the Monday morning, and it 75 00:06:41.439 --> 00:06:46.199 was used at an eight am in the area of Heckmandwyke. Heckmandwyke is close 76 00:06:46.279 --> 00:06:51.360 to Jews Brymore, where Bruce lived. It was less than three hours later 77 00:06:51.439 --> 00:06:56.920 when the passerby found Bruce's car, a red Persia with fire damage, in 78 00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:00.759 the area of Lum Lane in Huddersfield, around ten miles away from heckmand Wyke. 79 00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:05.439 He then did not turn up at work at around seven am that morning. 80 00:07:08.759 --> 00:07:12.720 This was certainly an odd set of events and not in Bruce's usual routine. 81 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:17.560 However, police could not definitively say that this was not Bruce. Many 82 00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:23.920 of the aspects of the case were unknown. There were further uses of Bruce's 83 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:28.279 bank card after he had already been reported missing and his car had been found. 84 00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:32.560 On Wednesday, the seventeenth of March, at around two forty nine am, 85 00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:38.600 it was used again, this time in Skerrsbrick, just outside of Southport, 86 00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:42.560 which is around seventy miles away and would have taken around an hour and 87 00:07:42.600 --> 00:07:46.079 a half to get there in the car from where it was last used. 88 00:07:47.639 --> 00:07:50.519 The next day, on Thursday, the eighteenth of March, it was used 89 00:07:50.519 --> 00:07:56.240 for the final time, this time in the Marley area, only six miles 90 00:07:56.240 --> 00:08:01.600 from Jewsbury More, where Bruce lived. This was unusual, to say the 91 00:08:01.720 --> 00:08:05.800 least, and this is where the trail appeared to have come to an end. 92 00:08:07.800 --> 00:08:11.240 Adding to the strangeness was the fact that it appeared Bruce had left his 93 00:08:11.319 --> 00:08:15.279 home in a hurry on the day that he disappeared. There was a glass 94 00:08:15.319 --> 00:08:18.759 of milk and a half eaten sandwich left on the side, and also he 95 00:08:18.759 --> 00:08:24.680 had left his cat locked inside of the house, which was unusual. His 96 00:08:24.759 --> 00:08:28.600 sister Wendy would later state about the cat. Normally he would put it outside, 97 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:35.399 not neglect it. Everything was pointing to something out of the ordinary and 98 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:39.639 unexpected happening that day, and it was clear from the outset that police were 99 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:46.120 treating this disappearance as suspicious. Police stated that none of these transactions fitted his 100 00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:52.320 normal pattern of behavior and they didn't seem correct. While it's reported in a 101 00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:56.600 BBC article from two thousand and three that Bruce did have immediate family in the 102 00:08:56.600 --> 00:09:03.159 Southport area, the transactions at that time in the mark him were strange. 103 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:05.759 The investigation tried to find out as much as they could about Bruce and his 104 00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:09.360 movements, and they spoke to as many people as they could who might know 105 00:09:09.480 --> 00:09:15.720 something. This was proving difficult, though, and there was very little to 106 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:20.519 point what could have happened. Bruce's sister, Wendy, would later state that 107 00:09:20.600 --> 00:09:26.120 she believed that the police had been thorough in their investigation and had tried everything 108 00:09:26.159 --> 00:09:31.679 to try and locate him. She also explained that they had been very supportive 109 00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:37.639 of the family. In the years that followed Bruce's disappearance, police continued to 110 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:39.919 try and appeal for anyone that knew him or lived in the area at the 111 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:46.000 time. In these appeals, it was hoped that his description or his name 112 00:09:46.080 --> 00:09:52.120 would jog someone's memory of him or of that time in nineteen ninety nine. 113 00:09:52.279 --> 00:09:56.559 In twenty fifteen, the BBC made another appeal, sixteen years after his disappearance. 114 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:01.879 In this appeal, they spoke about the fact that Bruce had had housemates 115 00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:07.519 in nineteen ninety eight and they wanted to trace them. They stated that they 116 00:10:07.559 --> 00:10:11.200 wanted to speak to a woman and a man called Frasier who had lived with 117 00:10:11.240 --> 00:10:16.759 Bruce at separate times during nineteen ninety eight. The woman was believed to have 118 00:10:16.840 --> 00:10:20.679 been in her late thirties and was described as tall, with a slim build 119 00:10:20.879 --> 00:10:26.360 and dark, wavy, shoulder length hair. She was well spoken. The 120 00:10:26.440 --> 00:10:30.679 man, who they thought was called Frasier, was thought to have lived with 121 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:33.840 Bruce for a few months and was described as in his early twenties with dark 122 00:10:33.879 --> 00:10:39.720 brown hair. He used to wear a full length leather coat or a blue 123 00:10:39.960 --> 00:10:43.840 raf style coat. It was thought that he may have worked in the Manchester 124 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:50.240 area and also went to the Frontier night club on occasion. The police clearly 125 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:54.320 wanted to hear from anyone who knew Bruce from that time, and Chief Inspector 126 00:10:54.399 --> 00:11:01.759 Marke McManus stated he was well known among the commune unity who regularly attended the 127 00:11:01.840 --> 00:11:07.759 venue and had associates there who lived in the Kirklees and Wakefield areas. We 128 00:11:07.879 --> 00:11:11.120 believe it's among this community that answers may be held about what happened to him 129 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:18.399 sixteen years ago. In March twenty fifteen, West Yorkshire Police also announced that 130 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:24.480 they were treating Bruce's disappearance as suspicious and were appealing for more information. A 131 00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:31.000 four spokesman said West Yorkshire Police are treating his disappearance as suspicious and are dealing 132 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:43.399 with it as a murder inquiry. In twenty eighteen, an inquest into Bruce's 133 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:50.399 disappearance was conducted. This was unusual as Bruce's body had not been found. 134 00:11:52.039 --> 00:11:56.600 Assistant Coroner Oliver Longstaff sought permission from the Chief Coroner's office to conduct the inquest 135 00:11:56.720 --> 00:12:03.879 without locating Bruce's body from the outset. West Yorkshire Police announced that they believed 136 00:12:03.879 --> 00:12:09.320 something untoward had happened to him, and that previous officers had believed this was 137 00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:15.080 a murder manslaughter case. The court heard that Bruce went to the Frontier night 138 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:20.279 club most Saturdays, and that he was a recreational drug user, sometimes using 139 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:26.240 ecstasy. Bruce had been married twice, but led mostly a bachelor lifestyle. 140 00:12:28.120 --> 00:12:31.399 There was also some information provided about a couple who had been arrested on suspicion 141 00:12:31.480 --> 00:12:37.960 of having something to do with Bruce's disappearance. This couple were well known to 142 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:41.720 Bruce, and in fact the woman and her partner had links to the Frontier 143 00:12:41.799 --> 00:12:46.639 nightclub that Bruce frequented. The partner worked as a bouncer at the club while 144 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:52.159 his girlfriend worked as a nurse. The inquest heard that Bruce had loaned them 145 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:58.000 two thousand pounds for a house deposit. This house sale had then fallen through, 146 00:12:58.120 --> 00:13:05.080 but theds had not been repaid to him. Chief Inspector Mark McManus stated 147 00:13:05.080 --> 00:13:09.639 that Bruce may have been enamored with the girlfriend and that she may have seen 148 00:13:09.720 --> 00:13:13.840 him as a soft touch. It was also announced that the garden belonging to 149 00:13:13.879 --> 00:13:18.600 this couple had been dug up during the investigation as neighbors had reported a bad 150 00:13:18.679 --> 00:13:26.159 smell. The remains of a dog had been found on the premises. The 151 00:13:26.200 --> 00:13:30.399 couple had been arrested, but then released without charge when no evidence was found 152 00:13:30.440 --> 00:13:35.360 to hold them. The inquest also stated that the police have ruled out suicide 153 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:39.639 given that his bank account had been emptied a few days after his disappearance, 154 00:13:41.799 --> 00:13:45.360 he had just done a weekly food shop and hadn't got anyone to look after 155 00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:54.320 his cat. Assistant Coroner Oliver Longstaff came to an open verdict conclusion. He 156 00:13:54.440 --> 00:13:56.960 stated, they are a good deal of suspicions, but it's not for me 157 00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:01.399 to say whether that suspicion is well found. Did or not. The evidence 158 00:14:01.440 --> 00:14:07.240 available to me falls short of establishing that mister Gapper was unlawfully killed. At 159 00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:13.159 the moment, all I can conclude is that mister Gapper is dead. Wendy 160 00:14:13.240 --> 00:14:18.320 also spoke at the inquest, saying I just feel sad. Really, it 161 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:22.360 has been a long time to have the information that he has passed. It 162 00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:26.519 does give us some sort of closure. I still believe there are people who 163 00:14:26.559 --> 00:14:33.200 may know something. I would ask that they come forward. Chief Superintendent Mike 164 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:41.399 McManus stated it's over nineteen years since Bruce disappeared and loyalties do change. If 165 00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:45.519 someone has done something untoward to Bruce, I'm convinced they will have told someone 166 00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:50.360 about it. I will appeal to anyone with information about Bruce's death to come 167 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:54.960 forward. Despite the length of time, we want to bring closure and justice 168 00:14:54.960 --> 00:15:01.600 for Bruce's family and to try and locate his remains. This is the way 169 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:05.759 that Bruce's case remains today, with his family hoping for any information that may 170 00:15:05.799 --> 00:15:09.840 help them find out what happened to him. Wendy spoke to Yorkshire Live in 171 00:15:09.879 --> 00:15:15.840 twenty eighteen about her brother's case and appealed for anyone with new information to come 172 00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:20.679 forward and for people to think back to nineteen ninety nine. She stated, 173 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:26.039 our dad, Lawrence died in twenty eighteen. He couldn't talk about Bruce. 174 00:15:26.360 --> 00:15:31.879 He would break down. What happened was so sad. Really, all he 175 00:15:31.960 --> 00:15:35.799 wanted in life was to have a family. I think all we want is 176 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:41.120 to know what happened to him and somebody knows. It does seem a long 177 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:45.320 time ago, but it also is like yesterday, because these things stay in 178 00:15:45.360 --> 00:15:50.080 your mind. I still remember that first call from police. It was just 179 00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:56.320 horrific. Wendy stated that she does believe that her brother could have been killed 180 00:15:56.360 --> 00:16:00.919 following a fallout with someone on the weekend he disappeared. The person who killed 181 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:04.519 him may have known him. She just wants to find out to get some 182 00:16:04.600 --> 00:16:11.120 answers for her family. Detective Inspector Paul Conrad from West Yorkshire Police said in 183 00:16:11.159 --> 00:16:17.519 the same article, officers continue to urge anyone who has any information into the 184 00:16:17.559 --> 00:16:22.279 disappearance and death of Bruce Gapper to please get in touch. We note that 185 00:16:22.279 --> 00:16:25.840 a considerable amount of time has passed, but we're keen to bring closure to 186 00:16:25.879 --> 00:16:30.799 Bruce's family and find out exactly what happened and give him the justice he deserves. 187 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:37.279 Bruce and his family deserve some justice and some answers for him, and 188 00:16:37.320 --> 00:16:40.519 if you know anything at all. It's essential that you contact police on one 189 00:16:40.519 --> 00:16:45.639 oh one or contact the Missing People Charity. As with every case I cover 190 00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:48.440 of missing people, I will link Bruce's profile in the show notes for anyone 191 00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:53.679 who wants to have a look. Thank you for listening to this third episode 192 00:16:53.799 --> 00:16:59.279 of twelve episodes of Missing People throughout December. If you'd like to support the 193 00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:03.399 podcast first, then you can on Patreon and contribute to the exclusive polls to 194 00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:08.119 get extra bonus episodes every month. You can also get access to new episodes 195 00:17:08.200 --> 00:17:11.440 early in ad free. You can use the link in the show notes to 196 00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:15.839 visit Patreon and see what we offer. You can also support us by reviewing 197 00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:21.440 the podcast wherever you listen, including Spotify, and also just share the episodes. 198 00:17:22.440 --> 00:19:04.559 You can subscribe on YouTube and follow us on social media.