Inquest opens into death of missing mum Victoria Taylor
A mum whose body was found in a river three weeks after she disappeared died from drowning, an inquest has heard.
Victoria Taylor, 34, was reported missing from her home in Malton, North Yorkshire, on September 30.
Her disappearance sparked a huge search operation, and her body was recovered from the River Derwent on October 22.
An inquest into her death was opened and adjourned on Thursday at County Hall, Northallerton, by North Yorkshire area coroner Catherine Cundy.
An inquest into her death was opened and adjourned on Thursday at County Hall, Northallerton, by North Yorkshire coroner Catherine Cundy.
Ms Cundy said the provisional cause of Ms Taylor’s death was drowning.
The coroner said: “Ms Taylor was reported missing by her fiance on October 1, 2024.
‘Extensive searches were carried out and, sadly, Miss Taylor’s body was recovered from the River Derwent in Malton on October 22.
‘Miss Taylor was pronounced dead at the scene.’
No family members were present for the five-minute hearing in the council chamber and the inquest was adjourned to a date to be fixed.
North Yorkshire Police have said that Ms Taylor, who worked as a nurse in a care home, was found by divers in an area of the river near where a number of her possessions were discovered after she disappeared.
The extensive searches for her had included teams using specialist sonar equipment and large numbers of local people also mounted daily operations to look for her.
At a press conference on the day Ms Taylor’s body was found, Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox, of North Yorkshire Police, said Ms Taylor’s family had been informed and were ‘understandably distressed’.
He said: ‘The disappearance of Victoria has understandably had a wider impact on the communities of Malton and Norton.
‘Those closest to Victoria have felt an enormous amount of heartache in the days after she went missing and have acknowledged how grateful they are for the overwhelming support from the community.’
Officers previously said Ms Taylor left her home at 9am on Monday September 30, and was seen on CCTV at 11.35am at the BP garage on Welham Road in the Norton area of Malton, where she purchased several items.
A further sighting was captured at 11.53am at Malton bus station on Railway Street.
More CCTV footage showed Ms Taylor walking towards the play park on Riverside Walk at 12.30pm.
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