The Metropolitan Police’s Cold Case Review Team has reopened the investigation into the 1988 disappearance of 15-year-old Lee Boxell in Surrey. Lee vanished from Cheam on 10 September 1988 after heading out shopping in Sutton and possibly attending a football match at Selhurst Park. The review aims to bring fresh hope nearly four decades after the teenager was last seen at 2:20pm on Sutton High Street.
Dark Past Linked To Abuse
Scotland Yard has long treated Lee’s disappearance as a murder case, with a key line of inquiry connecting it to a historic paedophile ring operating from ‘The Shed’ at St Dunstan’s Church in Cheam. Detectives suspect Lee may have been killed after uncovering the abuse ring or while trying to protect another child.
Forensic Search Came Up Empty
In 2013, police staged an extensive yearlong excavation of the churchyard at St Dunstan’s, searching for Lee’s remains. Despite this intensive forensic effort, no trace of him was ever found.
Family Holds On To Hope
Lee’s parents, Peter and Christine Boxell, have preserved his bedroom unchanged since 1988, keeping his posters and record collection intact. They have also stayed in the same home and kept the same phone number for 38 years, hoping Lee or anyone with information would reach out.
20000 Reward Offered
The new cold case review will use modern investigative methods to re-examine decades of evidence and witness statements. Police have announced a £20,000 reward for information leading to Lee’s recovery.
How To Help
- Contact the Metropolitan Police incident room on 101 for information.
- Submit anonymous tips to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or via their secure online form.
