Richard Okorogheye – A Promising Life
Richard Okorogheye was a 19-year-old student at Oxford Brookes University, where he studied computer science and cybersecurity. He was known for his intelligence, ambition, and gentle nature. Born to Nigerian immigrant parents, Richard had a bright future ahead of him. His mother, Evidence Joel, often spoke of his dreams to become successful and take care of his family. He was actively involved in his studies and even began working on entrepreneurial ventures, including a clothing line and a business focused on selling electronics and books.
However, Richard’s life was not without challenges. He suffered from sickle cell anemia, a genetic blood disorder that required regular hospital visits for treatment. His condition was debilitating, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced him to isolate. This isolation had a profound impact on Richard, as he rarely left home except for medical appointments. Despite this, his mother noted that Richard remained strong and hopeful, determined to complete his education and achieve his goals.
The pandemic, along with his medical condition, led to significant emotional strain. His mother described him as a caring son who constantly asked about her well-being, even when he was struggling with his own health. On March 22, 2021, Richard left his home in Ladbroke Grove, West London, without his medication or any explanation, sparking concern. This departure marked the beginning of a heart-wrenching search that ended in tragedy.
Richard’s disappearance was alarming, especially given his need for medication. His mother contacted the Metropolitan Police on March 23, 2021, just one day after he left, explaining his health condition and how unusual it was for him to go missing. However, her concerns were not taken as seriously as they should have been. Initially, Richard was categorized as a low-risk missing person, and the urgency of his case was overlooked. This response became a focal point of criticism as the investigation unfolded. His mother’s plea for help went largely unanswered for the crucial first days, adding to the anguish she felt as her son remained missing.
The Search and Police Response
Richard Okorogheye’s disappearance quickly became a high-profile case, not only due to his medical condition but also because of concerns surrounding the police response. When Evidence Joel reported her son missing on March 23, 2021, she emphasized his reliance on medication for sickle cell anemia and his unusual behavior of leaving without any communication. Despite these red flags, the initial response from the Metropolitan Police was sluggish.
Richard’s case was not immediately treated with the urgency it required. He was categorized as a “low-risk” missing person, even though his health condition made him vulnerable. His mother, growing more frantic by the day, felt her concerns were dismissed by the police. In an investigation later conducted by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), it was revealed that multiple errors were made in handling the case. The officers failed to upgrade Richard’s risk status in a timely manner, and key information, such as his sickle cell condition, was misrecorded as simply “anemia”.
For days, the investigation did not make significant progress. Evidence Joel repeatedly contacted the police to express her frustration, but her pleas were met with insufficient action. As a result, crucial time was lost in the early stages of Richard’s disappearance. The IOPC later criticized the police’s handling, noting that the service provided to the family fell far short of expectations. The lack of urgency in the initial response became a key issue in the public outcry that followed the discovery of Richard’s fate.
While the police eventually intensified their efforts, launching a large-scale search operation, including deploying officers to comb through areas Richard might have visited, it came too late. His case highlighted systemic issues within the police force, particularly in how they assess and prioritize missing persons, especially those from minority backgrounds. The delay in taking the case seriously became a source of deep regret for his family, who believed that a quicker, more robust response might have altered the outcome.
The Discovery in Epping Forest
On April 5, 2021, two weeks after Richard Okorogheye was last seen, the search came to a tragic end. His body was found in Epping Forest, a large woodland area in Essex, approximately 20 miles away from his home in West London. The discovery brought a devastating conclusion to the search, leaving his family and community in deep grief.
Richard’s body was located in a pond by Essex Police officers, who had joined the Metropolitan Police in the search after CCTV footage had shown Richard traveling to the Loughton area on March 23. The footage revealed that he had taken a taxi from West London to Loughton, arriving in the early hours of the morning. This was a major clue that led officers to focus on the Epping Forest area, but by the time the search intensified, it was already too late.
The post-mortem examination ruled that there was no evidence of physical trauma or foul play, and it was concluded that Richard’s death was consistent with drowning. However, the circumstances surrounding how and why Richard ended up in Epping Forest remain unclear. His mother, Evidence Joel, stated that her son had never mentioned the forest, nor did he have any known connections to the area, which deepened the mystery of what led him there that night.
The discovery of Richard’s body brought immense pain to his family, who had hoped for a different outcome. His mother expressed her heartbreak, noting that the search and discovery could have been more prompt if the police had taken her concerns seriously from the start. For many, the question of whether faster action could have saved Richard remained an open and painful one.
Reflection and Criticism of the Police Response
Following the discovery of Richard Okorogheye’s body, public outcry and criticism of the Metropolitan Police escalated. Many, including Richard’s family, believed that the police had failed to act promptly in response to his disappearance, raising concerns about systemic failures in handling missing persons cases. Evidence Joel, Richard’s mother, was vocal about her disappointment with the police response, stating that her son’s case was not taken seriously from the beginning. She felt that the police disregarded her concerns, particularly regarding Richard’s vulnerability due to his sickle cell anemia.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an investigation into the handling of the case and concluded that several key failures occurred. It found that Richard’s medical condition had been misrecorded by the initial call handler, and his case had been categorized as “low-risk” for too long. These missteps led to a delay in upgrading his status to a high-risk missing person, which could have accelerated the search efforts. Although the IOPC criticized the performance of several officers and call handlers, it did not find evidence that Richard’s race directly influenced the poor handling of the case(ITVX)(The Independent).
Despite these findings, many continued to express frustration over what they saw as institutional bias. There was widespread speculation that if Richard had not been a young Black man, his case might have been handled differently. His mother rejected the police’s official apology, citing that it came too late and was insufficient in addressing the root issues of why her concerns were initially dismissed. For Evidence Joel and many supporters, Richard’s case became emblematic of broader issues surrounding the treatment of missing persons, particularly those from minority communities.
In the aftermath, the Metropolitan Police committed to reviewing their procedures for handling missing persons reports. They also promised to improve their training and response times, particularly for vulnerable individuals. While these changes were welcomed, the pain and unanswered questions surrounding Richard’s disappearance remain a source of deep sadness for his family and community.
