Martyn Richardson: What did he do the day he went missing?

According to his family, when he knows he’s going out, he also knows exactly what time he will arrive and is usually early.

He plans his routes to and from his house in Vernon Way and almost never differs from it.

Importantly, his family know he would never, ever choose to make them worry for him.

Missing - Martyn Richardson (Image: Essex Police) On Saturday, August 24, 27-year-old Martyn woke up at 2am to get ready for work at McDonalds at Galleys Corner in Braintree.

He normally needs some time to feel prepared for work so did not leave the house for nearly four hours.

It was raining outside when Martyn cycled for 20 minutes on his blue bike to arrive at work at about 6am, plenty early enough to start his shift at 7am.

It rained all morning and into the afternoon so that when Martyn finished at 2pm, he had another wet ride home.

He relaxed there for a while, and text his Nan, Mary Richardson, who he has lived with all his life, at 3.01pm from his black and red mobile phone that he’d be going to the shop soon.

Worried - Martyn's nan Mary (Image: Newsquest) Mary spent the day rushing to and from home to Bocking Village Hall, situated squarely on a small hill on Church Street about two miles away.

She was taking food to the hall and doing other jobs to prepare for the family party they were having that evening.

It's why when he went to the shop, Martyn bought two birthday cards, one for Mary, who was days away from turning 65, and one for his great nan-nan, Dorothy, who was celebrating her 90th birthday.

After setting up for the party, Mary and Martyn’s 14-year-old half-brother Soul came home at about 6pm, where Martyn was waiting for them.

They all got ready for the party that evening, and Martyn donned a black-sleeved top with a white stripe down the arms, a grey hoodie, black fleece shorts and black trainers for his outfit.

CCTV - Essex Police shared this image of Martyn from the day he went missing (Image: Essex Police) Once ready, they all left the house by 6.45pm, with Martyn putting his wallet and keys into his pockets.

While Mary and Soul took the car, Martyn took his blue bike, as he never planned to stay long at large gatherings due to his asperges.

They passed each other on the corner of Bradford Street and Church Lane, where Martyn waved at them from his bike.

The rain had stopped, which was the last rain Braintree would see for nearly a week, and the evening was a balmy 16 degrees Celsius.

As he planned, Martyn took the route his family expected him to take along the back of Convent Lane by the Blackwater Nature Reserves, up Church Street, all the way to Bocking Village Hall.

After family and friends began arriving at the hall at 7pm, Martyn and Soul walked down Church Street to the Co-op and bought a can of cider and some cookies.

Active - Officers have been carrying out enquiries in the area (Image: Essex Police) They returned to the hall with their snacks, and Martyn said hello to family members and took a seat at a table.

The hall is spacious with historic wooden arched beams running over the ceiling, and a chandelier in the centre of the room.

It has been used to host many events, including weddings, and the room gradually filled with family and friends for the milestone birthday.

Lee Richardson, Martyn’s uncle, bought him a pint of Guinness and spent some time with him at the party.

Martyn was well and said hello to more family members before deciding to depart at 8.20pm, not long after the sunset.

It was not unusual for Martyn to leave large gatherings early, and this was just the reason why he took his bike.

He told his Nan Mary he was leaving, and she walked him to the door to say goodbye.

Martyn left with all his belongings and cycled past the Co-op on Church Street, and then past the Retreat Public House at 8.30pm.

From here, the rest of Martyn’s day is a mystery.

Help - a missing Martyn banner at Braintree Retail Park (Image: Toni Bunn)

After the police were called and searches were underway over the next few days, officers scoured CCTV footage and noticed what may be a person riding a bike up Dorewards Avenue.

Martyn’s family understand from police that this is a pinprick image of something moving in the dark, out of frame, and so they cannot be certain it was him.

A track runs from Dorewards Avenue along The Chase and over a field which eventually connects to Broad Road.

On August 24, the grass was overgrown to about chest height, so that visibility in the area was obstructed apart from on the grassy track along the field.

This route would have taken Martyn within a mile of his home.

Martyn’s blue bike was found two days later by Essex Police, an estimated five to ten metres from the closest part of the river and about ten to 15 metres of the closest part of the path. 

His family said the grass was disturbed as if someone had walked through it to put the bike down, and walked back out again.

The family were there when police uncovered it, and they watched while Braintree Council carefully and methodically cut the rest of the grass in the fields in the hopes of uncovering more of Martyn’s belongings.

Two months on, nothing else has been found.

Search - Essex Police and specialist search teams have been investigating Martyn's whereabouts (Image: Essex Police) Three people were spotted on CCTV in the area of Dorewards Avenue around the time Martyn was last seen, but they have not been identified, and no-one has come forward.

Martyn’s family have done their best to keep Martyn’s face in the public eye, and the entire community of Braintree has been on the lookout for him.

Scattered throughout Braintree are many posters of Martyn’s face, on banners hung near the train station, shopping centres, and the McDonald’s where he worked, and on small posters on lampposts and in people’s living room windows.

On Saturday, October 19, about 34 members of the public volunteered to help his family search the fields beyond The Chase for any sign of Martyn’s glasses, phone, wallet, keys or clothes.

Help - members of the public searching for Martyn (Image: Sam Lucas) Martyn’s family is campaigning to raise as much awareness about their brother, cousin, nephew, son and grandson as possible, and Braintree has not forgotten him.

Since his disappearance, police say they have also worked extensively in an effort to locate him.

Inspector Phil Jackson said: “We have carried out an exhaustive search to find Martyn Richardson and to get his family the answers they need about what’s happened.

“Since Martyn went missing we have carried out extensive searches in the area he was last seen and where his bike was found.

“This has included utilising specialist resources such as the Marine Unit to search the river and our Drones Unit, as well as support from the Essex Search and Rescue team.

Hunt - various searches to find Martyn have taken place (Image: Essex Police) “We have gone to almost every street around his home address and the town centre to ensure we’re securing as much CCTV as possible. We have studied 900 different pieces of footage to try and piece together his last movements.

“Checks have been carried out around his finances, his phone, and his online presence to try and find clues as to where he went and what might have happened to him.

“Every sighting we have received has been followed up and investigated, and we have spoken to dozens of witnesses.

“Forensic checks have been carried out on his bike and other items we’ve recovered as part of the investigation.

“And we’ve published seven media appeals for information.

“We know Martyn’s prolonged absence is having a significant impact on his family who just want him home and to know what’s happened to him,

“So we continue to appeal for anyone who has any information that could help our investigation to come forward.

“Not matter how small or insignificant you believe it to be, please come forward and speak to us”.

Join the ‘Find Martyn’ group on Facebook, run by Martyn's family, to join the community in supporting them.

To share information with the police, you can submit a report on the website or by using the online Live Chat service, and quote incident 324 of August 25.