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<v Speaker 1>Hi, and welcome back to The Unseen Podcast, a podcast

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<v Speaker 1>dedicated to missing people, unresolved cases and UK true crime.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's day six of our twelve days of missing person

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<v Speaker 1>episodes throughout December. Our aim is always to highlight missing

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<v Speaker 1>people from throughout the UK and tell their stories. Today

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<v Speaker 1>we're going to be exploring the disappearance of Matthew Riley

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<v Speaker 1>from Barnstable in Devon, who went missing in nineteen ninety nine.

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<v Speaker 1>This episode is about a missing person so does not

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<v Speaker 1>contain any descriptions of violence, but listener discretion is always advised.

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<v Speaker 1>On the morning of January fourteenth, nineteen ninety nine, twenty

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<v Speaker 1>nine year old Matthew Riley was at home with his parents,

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<v Speaker 1>Tim and Jacqueline. Matthew had moved back to the family

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<v Speaker 1>home three years earlier after moving back from Bath. During

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<v Speaker 1>that time, Matthew had just completed an art course in

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<v Speaker 1>the city and had attempted to find himself a property

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<v Speaker 1>to open his own art studio. Matthew was an abstract

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<v Speaker 1>artist and was very interested in exhibiting his own work.

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<v Speaker 1>Finding a place to do this, however, proved difficult, and

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<v Speaker 1>while he loved living in Bath, he decided the best

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<v Speaker 1>thing to do was moved back home for a while

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<v Speaker 1>to try and establish himself. Three years later, Matthew was

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<v Speaker 1>still living with his parents and had set up his

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<v Speaker 1>studio in the home. Matthew's father described him as having

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<v Speaker 1>a great sense of humor that he loved, saying it

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<v Speaker 1>was never aimed at anyone, and he had this great

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<v Speaker 1>comfortable way about him. He was thoughtful and private. He

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<v Speaker 1>never wore his emotions on his sleeve. Matthew was living

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<v Speaker 1>in the family home with his parents and his sister Sarah,

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<v Speaker 1>but despite living together, he remained quite private and independent.

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<v Speaker 1>He didn't eat with the family and would usually keep

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<v Speaker 1>himself to himself. His dad, Tim said he never liked

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<v Speaker 1>to make a fuss and just went about his life

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<v Speaker 1>without bringing any attention to himself. Therefore, on the morning

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<v Speaker 1>of January fourteenth, his parents didn't think much of it

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<v Speaker 1>when he left the house without saying goodbye to them.

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<v Speaker 1>Matthew often went on walks by himself and did not

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<v Speaker 1>always say where he was going or when he would

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<v Speaker 1>be back. Jacqueline would later say that she got up

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<v Speaker 1>from her chair to say goodbye to Matthew, but that

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<v Speaker 1>he had already rounded the corner of the street by

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<v Speaker 1>the time she looked out of the window to see

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<v Speaker 1>where he was. There was no reason at that point

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<v Speaker 1>to believe that this was anything other than his usual

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<v Speaker 1>daily walk, and nothing stood out as strange. This did

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<v Speaker 1>start to change, though, when Matthew hadn't returned within a

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<v Speaker 1>couple of hours. He didn't usually leave for that long,

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<v Speaker 1>and so this was a bit unusual for him. The

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<v Speaker 1>hours continued to tick by, and when Tim and Jacqueline

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<v Speaker 1>went to bed that night and he was still not back,

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<v Speaker 1>the worry turned into panic. Why had Matthew not returned.

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<v Speaker 1>When the couple woke up the next morning and he

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<v Speaker 1>was still not back, they were now concerned enough to

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<v Speaker 1>ring the police. They officially reported Matthew missing. An investigation

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<v Speaker 1>was quickly launched and officers began trying to locate Matthew.

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<v Speaker 1>They deployed a helicopter with heat seeking technology in the

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<v Speaker 1>local area with the hope that they would find him

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<v Speaker 1>quickly and easily. They were worried for several reasons. This

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<v Speaker 1>was January in the UK, and even just a night

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<v Speaker 1>outside without shelter or some support could be fatal, and

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<v Speaker 1>so time was not on their side. There was also

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<v Speaker 1>the fact that Matthew could have been deemed as vulnerable

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<v Speaker 1>during this time. His father, Tim later explained that Matthew

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<v Speaker 1>was in a depressive state at the time that he'd disappeared.

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<v Speaker 1>He had been feeling stressed about his work as a

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<v Speaker 1>freelance artist, as his artwork had not been selling as

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<v Speaker 1>well as he'd hoped that it would. Exhibitions that he

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<v Speaker 1>was due to be part of had fallen through at

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<v Speaker 1>the last minute, and he was creatively and financially down

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<v Speaker 1>at the time that he had gone missing. As well

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<v Speaker 1>as this, he had been suffering with a viral infection

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<v Speaker 1>at the same time, and this had added to his

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<v Speaker 1>low mood. While these may not have been the reasons

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<v Speaker 1>for his disappearance, it clearly had to be taken into

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<v Speaker 1>account by the police investigating Matthew as a missing person.

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<v Speaker 1>Tim would later find out that there had been a

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<v Speaker 1>four hundred pound withdrawal from Matthew's account, and this in

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<v Speaker 1>a way supported the idea that he had had about

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<v Speaker 1>Matthew perhaps to take a quote temporary break from the stress.

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<v Speaker 1>Tim stated that this four hundred pounds had been sent

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<v Speaker 1>to him by a relative for Christmas, and Matthew may

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<v Speaker 1>have thought about using this to get away from his

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<v Speaker 1>current situation. There was no concrete evidence for this, though,

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<v Speaker 1>and without finding Matthew, there was no knowing for sure.

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<v Speaker 1>A description of him was distributed to the public as

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<v Speaker 1>well as photographs. Matthew was described as white, five feet eleven,

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<v Speaker 1>with short, dark brown hair and brown eyes. His parents

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<v Speaker 1>worked closely with the police and were determined to get

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<v Speaker 1>Matthew's story out there as well as his picture. They

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<v Speaker 1>were desperate to find him. Jacqueline sent over two thousand

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<v Speaker 1>letters to businesses and organizations in the local area along

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<v Speaker 1>with Matthew's missing poster, asking for them to display it.

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<v Speaker 1>It was hoped that the more peace people saw Matthew's image,

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<v Speaker 1>they may remember him or it made jog memories. This

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<v Speaker 1>did work, as one person ranging with a tip which

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<v Speaker 1>could be relevant. A year after Matthew's disappearance, a former

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<v Speaker 1>colleague of his who worked at a local pub, rang

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<v Speaker 1>in to say that they had spotted him at Gordano

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<v Speaker 1>service station along the M five motorway. He said he

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<v Speaker 1>walked past Matthew on the way out of the services

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<v Speaker 1>but didn't think anything of it at the time as

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<v Speaker 1>he wasn't aware that Matthew was missing. He said he

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<v Speaker 1>only realized the significance of what he'd seen around two

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<v Speaker 1>months later, when he realized that Matthew was missing and

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<v Speaker 1>had been for a while. This is an important sighting

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<v Speaker 1>as this person knew Matthew personally and would have had

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<v Speaker 1>some idea if it was really him or not. It

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<v Speaker 1>also highlights the importance of putting up posters and displaying

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<v Speaker 1>information about missing people, as without it, some people may

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<v Speaker 1>not be reporting information they have without intending to. They

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<v Speaker 1>may just not know how relevant it is. In two

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<v Speaker 1>thousand and five, Matthew's mum, Jacqueline, passed away from inoperable

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<v Speaker 1>brain cancer without finding out what happened to him. This

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<v Speaker 1>was clearly a very traumatic time for Matthew's family, and

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<v Speaker 1>the fact that they have been enabled to tell him

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<v Speaker 1>about it must be heartbreaking. In two thousand and six,

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<v Speaker 1>Tim spoke to the press saying, it has been so

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<v Speaker 1>long since Matthew went missing and we miss him terribly.

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<v Speaker 1>We have some very important family news concerning his mother

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<v Speaker 1>to pass on and would dearly love to hear from Matthew.

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<v Speaker 1>We love Matthew very very much, but do not wish

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<v Speaker 1>to interfere in his life. We just want to know

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<v Speaker 1>that he is safe and well. That same year, a

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<v Speaker 1>national missing person campaign was launched, with images of missing

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<v Speaker 1>people being displayed around six hundred underground stations and railway

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<v Speaker 1>stations across the UK. Matthew's image was among them, and

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<v Speaker 1>it was hoped that again this appeal may bring information

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<v Speaker 1>and tips from people who may not have known that

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<v Speaker 1>they knew something important. This was not to be, however,

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<v Speaker 1>with nothing relevant to Matthew's disappearance coming in. Matthew's family

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<v Speaker 1>have never given up looking for him, and over the

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<v Speaker 1>years they have continued to appeal in any way possible

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<v Speaker 1>for information and hope that he will return to them.

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<v Speaker 1>Tim has explained that his disappearance has caused an emotional

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<v Speaker 1>disturbance for his entire family, and that they continue to

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<v Speaker 1>write Matthew's Birthday and Christmas cards. They even struck a

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<v Speaker 1>note up on their front door for a while which

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<v Speaker 1>said welcome home Matthew ring the bell. They hoped every

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<v Speaker 1>day that this would happen. Tim explained that over the

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<v Speaker 1>years he has hoped for any contact. That one time,

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<v Speaker 1>after a hip operation, the phone at his home rang.

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<v Speaker 1>He couldn't get to the phone quick enough, and it

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<v Speaker 1>rang off before he got there. He said he always

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<v Speaker 1>regrets not reaching the phone in time in case it

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<v Speaker 1>was Matthew. In two thousand and nine, he said, of course,

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<v Speaker 1>it's gone through my mind that Matthew may have come

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<v Speaker 1>to harm, or that he might even be dead. But

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<v Speaker 1>I soon snapped myself out of that way of thinking.

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<v Speaker 1>If he was dead, I'm sure we'd know about it.

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<v Speaker 1>I just want him to come back, or to at

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<v Speaker 1>least know that he's okay. I miss him every day.

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<v Speaker 1>I think about him all the time, and I just

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<v Speaker 1>live with this constant sense of loss. His family had

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<v Speaker 1>done everything they can to try and locate Matthew and

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<v Speaker 1>have never given up on him, hoping that he will

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<v Speaker 1>see their appeals and come home. Tim has sadly also

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<v Speaker 1>passed away, and this year Marx twenty five years since

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<v Speaker 1>Matthew walked out of his house and never returned. His

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<v Speaker 1>sister Sarah still appeals and campaigns to try and find him,

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<v Speaker 1>and hopes that she will one day to make the

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<v Speaker 1>twenty fifth anniversary of his disappearance. This year, Sarah posted

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<v Speaker 1>a message saying, Matthew, it's been too long. We have

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of catching up to do stories, to swap

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<v Speaker 1>Paul to play You'll whoop my ass, no doubt there

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<v Speaker 1>are people who would love to meet you. I've been

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<v Speaker 1>married for twenty years and you have a niece who

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<v Speaker 1>is amazing. At least just let me know that you're well.

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<v Speaker 1>Matthew has missed an awful lot and his family desperately

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<v Speaker 1>want to know where he is and if he's okay.

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<v Speaker 1>Matthew went missing in January nineteen ninety nine and may

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<v Speaker 1>have been seen a year later the Gordano service station

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<v Speaker 1>on the M five motorway. A withdrawal of four hundred

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<v Speaker 1>pounds was made from his account and he may have

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<v Speaker 1>been able to use this to live on for a

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<v Speaker 1>short while. Since then, however, no contact has been made

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<v Speaker 1>and no sightings have been corroborated. Where is Matthew Riley?

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<v Speaker 1>Missing people have said, Matthew, if you're reading this, please

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<v Speaker 1>get in touch. You can call us on one one

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<v Speaker 1>six zero zero zero or email one one six triple

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<v Speaker 1>zero at missingpeople dot org dot UK. Our service is

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<v Speaker 1>non judgmental, confidential and free. Thanks to support from players

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<v Speaker 1>of People's Postcode lottery. We just want to provide you

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<v Speaker 1>with the support you need and help you to be safe.

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<v Speaker 1>Our helpline is here to support people who are missing,

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<v Speaker 1>thinking of going missing, and for loved ones who are

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<v Speaker 1>left behind. The helpline is free and confidential and is

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<v Speaker 1>operated by trained staff and volunteers. I will leave all

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<v Speaker 1>the information in the show notes for anyone who thinks

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<v Speaker 1>they know anything about Matthew's disappearance. Thank you for listening

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<v Speaker 1>to today's episode. Listening in a few days today seven,

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<v Speaker 1>where we'll cover another missing on Identified First in case.

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<v Speaker 1>If you'd like to support the podcast further, then you

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<v Speaker 1>can on Patreon and contribute to exclusive polls to get

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<v Speaker 1>extra bonus episodes every month. You can also get access

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<v Speaker 1>to new episodes early in ad free. You can use

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<v Speaker 1>the link in the show notes to visit Patreon and

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<v Speaker 1>see what we offer. You can also support us by

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<v Speaker 1>reviewing the podcast wherever you listen, including Spotify, and also

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<v Speaker 1>just share the episodes. You can subscribe on YouTube and

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<v Speaker 1>follow us on social media as our ways. I'm Caprice

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<v Speaker 1>and this has been unseen