Victoria Taylor’s cause of death revealed after tragic end to search

Local people mounted daily operations to look for Miss Taylor (Dave Higgens/PA) - (PA Wire)

An inquest has opened into the death of a woman whose body was found in a river three weeks after she disappeared.

Victoria Taylor, 34, went missing from her home in Malton, North Yorkshire, on September 30 and her body was recovered from the River Derwent, in the town, on October 22, police have said.

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 Miss Taylor’s death was drowning.

Searches were conducted for Ms Taylor in the River Derwent in Malton (PA Wire)

The coroner said: “Miss 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.

Officers previously said Miss 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 Miss Taylor walking towards the play park on Riverside Walk at 12.30pm.

Victoria Taylor’s body was found in the River Derwent in Malton, North Yorkshire, on October 22 (North Yorkshire Police/PA) (PA Media)

Miss 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 Miss Taylor’s body was found, Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox, of North Yorkshire Police, said Miss 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.”