WEBVTT

1
00:00:10.560 --> 00:00:14.039
<v Speaker 1>Hi, and welcome back to The Unseen Podcast, a podcast

2
00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:18.359
<v Speaker 1>dedicated to missing people, unresolved cases, and UK true crime.

3
00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:23.039
<v Speaker 1>Today's day nine of twelve days of missing person episodes

4
00:00:23.079 --> 00:00:25.600
<v Speaker 1>throughout December, and I'm going to be covering a case

5
00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:29.800
<v Speaker 1>that I recently covered on a Patreon bonus episode. I

6
00:00:29.800 --> 00:00:33.359
<v Speaker 1>don't like putting missing person episodes behind a paywall forever,

7
00:00:33.520 --> 00:00:35.759
<v Speaker 1>as they need to be heard by everyone, so I

8
00:00:35.799 --> 00:00:38.759
<v Speaker 1>thought this case is perfect for twelve days of missing

9
00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:42.560
<v Speaker 1>people in December. Today we're going to be exploring the

10
00:00:42.600 --> 00:00:46.520
<v Speaker 1>disappearance of twenty seven year old Anthony Stammers in Colchester

11
00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:51.240
<v Speaker 1>in twenty twelve. His disappearance came out of the blue

12
00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:54.119
<v Speaker 1>for his family, who have been searching for him ever since,

13
00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:57.240
<v Speaker 1>and their work to support other families of the missing

14
00:00:57.679 --> 00:01:01.640
<v Speaker 1>has been a lifeline for some. This episode is about

15
00:01:01.640 --> 00:01:04.640
<v Speaker 1>a missing person and so does not contain any descriptions

16
00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:11.239
<v Speaker 1>of violence, but listener discretion is always advised. Twenty seven

17
00:01:11.319 --> 00:01:14.439
<v Speaker 1>year old Anthony Stammers has been described by his family

18
00:01:14.599 --> 00:01:18.000
<v Speaker 1>as completely unique and someone who led his life the

19
00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:21.319
<v Speaker 1>way that he wanted to live it. His brother has

20
00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:23.879
<v Speaker 1>described him as living his life by his own sheet

21
00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:29.000
<v Speaker 1>of music and was very respected for it. Antony had

22
00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:32.359
<v Speaker 1>an eclectic taste in both film and music, and was

23
00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:36.200
<v Speaker 1>known as a talented musician. He was in a band

24
00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:40.840
<v Speaker 1>which had played concerts in aid of Amnesty International. He

25
00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:45.480
<v Speaker 1>enjoyed reading, writing, and was sensitive. He loved to help

26
00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:50.040
<v Speaker 1>others and cared about others immensely. He had grown up

27
00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:53.200
<v Speaker 1>in Colchester with his older sister Kathy and brother James,

28
00:01:53.480 --> 00:01:57.480
<v Speaker 1>as well as his mum Julie and his dad Rob.

29
00:01:58.319 --> 00:02:01.359
<v Speaker 1>Anthony was close to his family and his siblings, with

30
00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:04.840
<v Speaker 1>his sister being described as a mini mother to him.

31
00:02:05.480 --> 00:02:08.000
<v Speaker 1>He was well liked, had a great sense of humor,

32
00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:11.599
<v Speaker 1>and was known to be easy going. His family knew

33
00:02:11.639 --> 00:02:14.520
<v Speaker 1>him to be a fun but responsible person who they

34
00:02:14.599 --> 00:02:20.000
<v Speaker 1>loved to be around. During May twenty twelve, the family

35
00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:24.919
<v Speaker 1>were going through some turmoil and grief. Antony's grandfather had

36
00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:28.479
<v Speaker 1>sadly passed away and the funeral had been arranged for Monday,

37
00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:35.000
<v Speaker 1>May the twenty eighth, twenty twelve at Colchester Crematorium. The

38
00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:37.400
<v Speaker 1>date had been set and the family were prepared to

39
00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:42.400
<v Speaker 1>attend That Monday morning, Antony told his mum Julie that

40
00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:44.879
<v Speaker 1>he was going to spend that night in London with friends,

41
00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:48.280
<v Speaker 1>but would be back in Colchester the next morning ready

42
00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:52.240
<v Speaker 1>for the funeral. He then left his home in mile

43
00:02:52.319 --> 00:02:55.639
<v Speaker 1>End Road in Colchester at around ten am on Sunday,

44
00:02:55.719 --> 00:03:00.840
<v Speaker 1>May the twenty seventh. Reports differ on when Antony next

45
00:03:00.840 --> 00:03:05.199
<v Speaker 1>contacted his family. However, the Essex Police website states that

46
00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:08.360
<v Speaker 1>he text his mom at around eleven am, just an

47
00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:13.759
<v Speaker 1>hour after he left the home. Other sources say seven pm.

48
00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:17.759
<v Speaker 1>The police source appears to be the most credible, so

49
00:03:17.800 --> 00:03:21.800
<v Speaker 1>I will go with that one. Anthony texted his mom

50
00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:24.319
<v Speaker 1>Julie and asked if she would prepare his trousers for

51
00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:28.879
<v Speaker 1>him ready for the funeral the next day. We do

52
00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:31.360
<v Speaker 1>know that after leaving his home on mile End Road,

53
00:03:31.639 --> 00:03:34.719
<v Speaker 1>someone withdrew one hundred and forty pounds from Antony's bank

54
00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:40.319
<v Speaker 1>account at a nearby petrol station machine. After this, Anthony's

55
00:03:40.360 --> 00:03:42.159
<v Speaker 1>family believed that he had been on his way to

56
00:03:42.240 --> 00:03:44.800
<v Speaker 1>visit his friends in London, as he had said that

57
00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:47.280
<v Speaker 1>he was going to do and that they would see

58
00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:52.560
<v Speaker 1>him the next day. Monday, May the twenty eighth came

59
00:03:52.599 --> 00:03:55.280
<v Speaker 1>around and his family waited for him to come home

60
00:03:55.360 --> 00:03:59.560
<v Speaker 1>to attend the funeral. Antony, however, did not turn up

61
00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:04.319
<v Speaker 1>to do the family all went to the funeral at

62
00:04:04.319 --> 00:04:09.960
<v Speaker 1>Colchester Crematorium. However, Antony was not in attendance. The fact

63
00:04:09.960 --> 00:04:12.199
<v Speaker 1>that he had not come to his granddad's funeral was

64
00:04:12.199 --> 00:04:16.360
<v Speaker 1>an immediate huge red flag and was something that Antony

65
00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:20.399
<v Speaker 1>just would not have done. His family were worried from

66
00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:23.319
<v Speaker 1>the outset, and they decided to immediately file a missing

67
00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:28.319
<v Speaker 1>person report to Essex Police. He was quickly apparent to

68
00:04:28.360 --> 00:04:31.519
<v Speaker 1>those that were working on this case that something wasn't right,

69
00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:34.600
<v Speaker 1>and the sheer fact that Antony hadn't turned up for

70
00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:40.040
<v Speaker 1>the funeral was an indication that something was wrong. Police

71
00:04:40.040 --> 00:04:43.600
<v Speaker 1>began looking into Antony's life and his movements to establish

72
00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:45.839
<v Speaker 1>what could have possibly happened to him and where he

73
00:04:45.879 --> 00:04:50.399
<v Speaker 1>could be. Police learned that Antony had been treated for

74
00:04:50.480 --> 00:04:53.480
<v Speaker 1>depression in the past, and while this was the case,

75
00:04:53.600 --> 00:04:56.399
<v Speaker 1>he was still a responsible person who was close to

76
00:04:56.439 --> 00:05:00.680
<v Speaker 1>his family and kept in touch with them regularly. The

77
00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:02.800
<v Speaker 1>fact that he may have been suffering with grief due

78
00:05:02.839 --> 00:05:06.120
<v Speaker 1>to his grandfather's funeral was of course also taken into

79
00:05:06.160 --> 00:05:09.040
<v Speaker 1>account and may have been affecting his state of mind

80
00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:14.079
<v Speaker 1>during that time. Antony was obviously also an adult and

81
00:05:14.120 --> 00:05:16.560
<v Speaker 1>could choose not to turn up if he didn't want to.

82
00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:21.519
<v Speaker 1>Despite this, Antony's family and the police agreed that his

83
00:05:21.560 --> 00:05:26.160
<v Speaker 1>disappearance was out of character. They discovered that after the

84
00:05:26.199 --> 00:05:28.680
<v Speaker 1>transaction that was made at the cash machine at eleven

85
00:05:28.680 --> 00:05:31.800
<v Speaker 1>a m they didn't have record of where Antony went

86
00:05:31.839 --> 00:05:35.920
<v Speaker 1>after that or any of his movements. It would turn

87
00:05:35.959 --> 00:05:37.759
<v Speaker 1>out that they also did not know if it was

88
00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:41.160
<v Speaker 1>even Antony that took the money out of the machine.

89
00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:45.040
<v Speaker 1>They couldn't find any CCTV that would corroborate this transaction

90
00:05:45.639 --> 00:05:47.680
<v Speaker 1>and so they couldn't see if it was Antony or

91
00:05:47.720 --> 00:05:52.160
<v Speaker 1>it was someone else using Antony's card. The police have

92
00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:54.519
<v Speaker 1>since said that they have no reason to believe that

93
00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:59.680
<v Speaker 1>it was anyone else other than him. The strange thing

94
00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:03.160
<v Speaker 1>was was that police couldn't actually find Antony on any

95
00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:07.360
<v Speaker 1>CCTV from the area at all. They weren't able to

96
00:06:07.399 --> 00:06:10.600
<v Speaker 1>find any images of Antony and Colchester on his journey

97
00:06:10.600 --> 00:06:15.560
<v Speaker 1>to see his friends in London. Detective Superintendent Stephen Jennings

98
00:06:15.560 --> 00:06:18.920
<v Speaker 1>from Essex Police stated, we did a lot of work

99
00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:22.839
<v Speaker 1>around CCTV and surprisingly there wasn't a single image of

100
00:06:22.879 --> 00:06:26.439
<v Speaker 1>Antony and we trialed hours and hours of footage both

101
00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:30.480
<v Speaker 1>in and around the Colchester area. It's really difficult to

102
00:06:30.519 --> 00:06:33.879
<v Speaker 1>know what's actually happened, and we do absolutely keep an

103
00:06:33.879 --> 00:06:38.759
<v Speaker 1>open mind. Trying to establish where Antony could have gone

104
00:06:38.839 --> 00:06:41.680
<v Speaker 1>or what could have happened to him was proving extremely difficult.

105
00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:44.279
<v Speaker 1>Given that there really were no leeds to go on.

106
00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:49.399
<v Speaker 1>Without CCTV witnesses or any other paper trail, it was

107
00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:53.600
<v Speaker 1>tough to investigate. Police were able to discover that the

108
00:06:53.639 --> 00:06:56.040
<v Speaker 1>withdrawal of one hundred and forty pounds was the last

109
00:06:56.079 --> 00:07:00.720
<v Speaker 1>transaction that was made on Antony's bank account. This in

110
00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:04.120
<v Speaker 1>itself raised alarm bells as if Antony had decided to

111
00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:06.639
<v Speaker 1>just walk away from his life, where had he gone

112
00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:10.160
<v Speaker 1>and what was he living on? A description of him

113
00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:13.639
<v Speaker 1>was distributed to the public. He was described as white,

114
00:07:14.040 --> 00:07:17.600
<v Speaker 1>five feet ten inches tall, of medium build, with short,

115
00:07:17.720 --> 00:07:21.519
<v Speaker 1>dark brown hair, although he may now have longer hair

116
00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:25.439
<v Speaker 1>or changed its color. He could also now have a beard.

117
00:07:26.759 --> 00:07:29.120
<v Speaker 1>He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a red and

118
00:07:29.120 --> 00:07:32.399
<v Speaker 1>blue check shirt, carrying a black satchel, and may have

119
00:07:32.439 --> 00:07:35.800
<v Speaker 1>been wearing a black New York Yankees baseball cap and

120
00:07:35.879 --> 00:07:41.680
<v Speaker 1>beige jacket. Antony's family were distraught by the news that

121
00:07:41.720 --> 00:07:44.800
<v Speaker 1>he had disappeared and the whole family worked together and

122
00:07:44.920 --> 00:07:49.439
<v Speaker 1>with police to try and locate him. Widespread searches were

123
00:07:49.480 --> 00:07:52.199
<v Speaker 1>done of the local area and local people were spoken

124
00:07:52.240 --> 00:07:57.079
<v Speaker 1>to and appeals were made. Despite all of these appeals

125
00:07:57.120 --> 00:07:59.839
<v Speaker 1>and the search for information, police could not find any

126
00:08:00.040 --> 00:08:04.879
<v Speaker 1>information about his whereabouts or what had happened. It seemed

127
00:08:04.920 --> 00:08:14.959
<v Speaker 1>as though Antony had just disappeared into thin air. In

128
00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:17.879
<v Speaker 1>the months and years that followed his disappearance, his family

129
00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:21.879
<v Speaker 1>continued to appeal for information and worked with police. However,

130
00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:27.240
<v Speaker 1>little information about Anthony was reported. There were several potential

131
00:08:27.240 --> 00:08:30.959
<v Speaker 1>sightings of him over the years. These ranged from sightings

132
00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:36.879
<v Speaker 1>in Colchester itself, in Staffordshire, Birmingham, Doncaster and London. However,

133
00:08:36.919 --> 00:08:41.759
<v Speaker 1>it appears that none of these were ever corroborated. Ten

134
00:08:41.840 --> 00:08:45.279
<v Speaker 1>years after Anthony disappeared, in twenty twenty two, his family

135
00:08:45.320 --> 00:08:47.759
<v Speaker 1>spoke to the press and the police once again did

136
00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:51.639
<v Speaker 1>a large appeal for information. His case was featured on

137
00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:57.559
<v Speaker 1>a Channel five program. Anthony's mum duly stated, every day

138
00:08:57.600 --> 00:09:00.279
<v Speaker 1>we think about Anthony. There's not a minute that goes

139
00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:02.639
<v Speaker 1>by we don't think about him and what has happened

140
00:09:02.679 --> 00:09:05.799
<v Speaker 1>to him. If you have any tiny little bit of

141
00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:09.080
<v Speaker 1>information that you think is significant, or you know Antony

142
00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:12.360
<v Speaker 1>and know where he is, please just contact us and help.

143
00:09:13.159 --> 00:09:15.679
<v Speaker 1>The police will take into account any little piece of

144
00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:20.799
<v Speaker 1>information and investigate. And to Antony, if he's watching, we

145
00:09:20.919 --> 00:09:23.960
<v Speaker 1>love you so much and miss you every day. We

146
00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:26.320
<v Speaker 1>understand it's difficult when you've been away for a long

147
00:09:26.360 --> 00:09:29.919
<v Speaker 1>while to reconnect again, but we're waiting to welcome you

148
00:09:29.960 --> 00:09:32.519
<v Speaker 1>back into our lives again, and that's all we want

149
00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:35.159
<v Speaker 1>to have you back and to give you a great

150
00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:40.559
<v Speaker 1>big hug. Antony's dad, Rob spoke about feeling like he

151
00:09:40.600 --> 00:09:45.320
<v Speaker 1>had a duel existence due to Antony's disappearance, saying, on

152
00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:48.080
<v Speaker 1>the one hand, we know we have to live normal life.

153
00:09:48.759 --> 00:09:50.759
<v Speaker 1>There are things to do and bills to pay, and

154
00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:53.399
<v Speaker 1>we have two other children who deserve to live their lives.

155
00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:56.360
<v Speaker 1>That's are the full And on the other hand, we

156
00:09:56.440 --> 00:09:58.919
<v Speaker 1>know that Antony is missing and the pain that goes

157
00:09:58.960 --> 00:10:03.879
<v Speaker 1>alongside that can rear its head at any time. Antony's

158
00:10:03.919 --> 00:10:06.039
<v Speaker 1>parents wanted to do what they could to help raise

159
00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:09.919
<v Speaker 1>awareness of Antony's disappearance, but that of all families of

160
00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:14.240
<v Speaker 1>missing people, they have worked with the charity Missing People,

161
00:10:14.559 --> 00:10:16.679
<v Speaker 1>as well as his mom and dad and sister Kathy

162
00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:20.159
<v Speaker 1>taking part in walking five kilometers a day for every

163
00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:22.600
<v Speaker 1>year that he has been missing. In an effort to

164
00:10:22.679 --> 00:10:27.799
<v Speaker 1>further raise awareness, Antony's brother James, appeared on Channel four's

165
00:10:27.960 --> 00:10:32.679
<v Speaker 1>sas Who Dares Wins. He explained, my primary reason for

166
00:10:32.759 --> 00:10:35.120
<v Speaker 1>going in there was to raise awareness and in the

167
00:10:35.159 --> 00:10:39.000
<v Speaker 1>hope that someone somewhere knows of his whereabouts lets him know,

168
00:10:39.559 --> 00:10:41.679
<v Speaker 1>or he may have even find out about me being

169
00:10:41.720 --> 00:10:44.039
<v Speaker 1>on there and I get to say these things to

170
00:10:44.120 --> 00:10:48.120
<v Speaker 1>the nation. He's missed, He's loved by everyone that knows him.

171
00:10:49.879 --> 00:10:52.960
<v Speaker 1>His family have been dedicated to keeping Antony's memory alive,

172
00:10:53.440 --> 00:10:56.279
<v Speaker 1>but also to support other families of missing people to

173
00:10:56.320 --> 00:11:01.559
<v Speaker 1>get the support that they need. In June twenty twenty three,

174
00:11:01.720 --> 00:11:04.919
<v Speaker 1>Antony's parents were present when Missing People opened a new

175
00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:08.039
<v Speaker 1>garden to represent all of the missing people and their

176
00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:13.720
<v Speaker 1>families that they supported. Antony's parents stated, I'm so proud

177
00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:16.159
<v Speaker 1>of what the family and charity members have done in

178
00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:20.399
<v Speaker 1>creating this garden for everyone. I'm hoping that all the

179
00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:23.320
<v Speaker 1>families who come, and perhaps people who have gone missing,

180
00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:27.320
<v Speaker 1>will love it just as much as we do. Everything

181
00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:29.919
<v Speaker 1>has a meaning in the garden. There is a rocky path,

182
00:11:30.600 --> 00:11:33.080
<v Speaker 1>water is a place of reflection and the cause of

183
00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:37.240
<v Speaker 1>the charity, which are black and pink. The darker planting

184
00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:39.559
<v Speaker 1>reflects the journey we have all been on, and the

185
00:11:39.639 --> 00:11:43.320
<v Speaker 1>lighter meadow reflects our enjoyment of gardening, which helps people

186
00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:47.480
<v Speaker 1>with mental health problems. In general. I enjoy gardening and

187
00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:50.039
<v Speaker 1>so does my husband and daughter. Is give us a

188
00:11:50.039 --> 00:11:55.200
<v Speaker 1>sense of calm. It's clear that Antony's parents are dedicated

189
00:11:55.240 --> 00:11:57.639
<v Speaker 1>to finding out what happened to him, and they're hopeful

190
00:11:57.679 --> 00:11:59.960
<v Speaker 1>that they will find some evidence as to what happened.

191
00:12:01.480 --> 00:12:04.840
<v Speaker 1>Although twelve years has now passed since his disappearance, there

192
00:12:04.879 --> 00:12:07.000
<v Speaker 1>is hope that someone out there knows what happened to

193
00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:11.639
<v Speaker 1>Anthony Stammers on May twenty seventh, twenty twelve, and could

194
00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:14.600
<v Speaker 1>provide this loving and dedicated family the answers that they

195
00:12:14.759 --> 00:12:19.399
<v Speaker 1>so desperately need. If you know anything about the disappearance

196
00:12:19.399 --> 00:12:22.240
<v Speaker 1>of Anthony Stammers, please contact police on one oh one

197
00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:25.240
<v Speaker 1>our Missing People via their website, which will be linked

198
00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:29.440
<v Speaker 1>in the show notes. Thank you for listening to November's

199
00:12:29.480 --> 00:12:33.919
<v Speaker 1>bonus episode and listening for Decembers. As always, thank you

200
00:12:33.960 --> 00:12:37.679
<v Speaker 1>for all your support. I really appreciate it. I'm Caprice

201
00:12:37.879 --> 00:13:01.120
<v Speaker 1>and this has been unseen. She F