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Sons of Debbie Griggs, who went missing from Walmer, launch 'Find Our Mum' Facebook page claiming she is still alive

By: Eleanor Perkins

Published: 06:00, 08 January 2020

Updated: 12:19, 09 January 2020

'Find our Mum' is the name of a social media page set up by the children of Debbie Griggs who believe she is still alive.

The site has been created by her three sons, Jeremy, Jake and Luke Griggs following the murder conviction in October of their father Andrew, two decades after her disappearance, from Deal.

Debbie Griggs with children, Jeremy, Jake and baby Luke

Debbie went missing from the family's Walmer home on the night of Wednesday, May 5 1999 and there has been no trace or signs of life since.

During sentencing in which Griggs was told he must service a minimum of 20 years, Judge Lord Justice Spencer described Debbie's three children as her "pride and joy".

He said: "They were her life. She would never have left them of her own free will."

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But the boys, who were aged six, four and 18 months at the time, have revealed they believe their dad is innocent and their mum is still alive.

They launched a public Facebook page asking for information to help locate her.

Debbie and Andrew Griggs married in September 1990

They write: "This page has been launched for the sole purpose of finding our mum, Debbie Elizabeth Griggs (Cameron) who we believe was not murdered by our father but is still alive.

"It has not been set up to cause upset or distress.

"Every human on this planet is permitted to have an opinion. That is their right.

"We respect that right. All we ask is that you in return respect ours.

"We are only interested in finding our mum.

'It has not been set up to cause upset or distress' Debbie Griggs' sons, Jeremy, Jake and Luke

"Anyone posting/sending cruel or malicious, hateful messages will not be tolerated and will be dealt with accordingly.

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"Please like and share so that we can reach as many people as possible in the hope of finding our mum, thank you."

Updates posted since suggest they have received a letter from somebody in Deal containing useful information.

They write: "To the person from Deal who sent us a letter over the weekend, thank you."

12 days later, they updated: "There’s certainly more about this case than people are letting on. Thank you to that person for the anonymous information."

Andrew Griggs is serving a 20 year sentence for killing wife Debbie. Picture SWNS

In a Christmas message, they said they hoped it would be the last Christmas without their father.

They posted: "Thank you for everyone that has shared our posts, given their thoughts and mostly to those that have passed on valuable information.

"Please can everyone keep sharing, especially those in other areas of the country/world.

"We don’t know where she is but she IS somewhere!

"This will be our first Christmas without our dad, please help us to make it our last."

Debbie Griggs' car was found at The Shrubbery in Walmer

The prosecution had argued Griggs murdered Debbie - four-and-a-half months pregnant with their fourth child - after she found out about an affair he was having with a 15-year-old.

But Griggs insisted she had left the family home in a rage after he came home from work and fell asleep.

Her car - a white Peugeot 309 - was found abandoned days after her disappearance, 1.3 miles from their home in Cross Road, Walmer.

Lord Justice Spencer said he suspected Griggs had deposited her body at sea.

After the trial, Debbie's family made a plea for Griggs to reveal where Debbie's body is.

Friends and family of Debbie Griggs threw flowers in to the sea at Deal in her memory after Andrew Griggs' conviction for her murder

Days later, around a hundred people gathered at Deal Pier to throw flowers into the sea in her memory.

KentOnline has contacted the administrators of 'Find Our Mum' for more information and a comment.

Despite the boys' belief that Debbie is alive, her best friend claims Debbie knew her son had cancer and would never have disappeared without saying goodbye.

Helen Griggs Cheeseman, 55, met her friend at secondary school when they were 12 and they saw each other almost daily while their children were babies.

Mrs Griggs Cheesman's son Barry was battling retinablastoma, an eye cancer, when Debbie disappeared in 1999, and as godmother to her daughter, she would childmind Barry's sister Samantha when they attended hospital appointments.

Debbie with her friend's son Barry who had cancer at the time she went missing. Picture: Helen Griggs Cheesman

It is for this reason, Mrs Griggs Cheeseman is sure that Debbie must have been murdered.

She said: "Debbie knew my son had cancer and would never have left or not spoken to me.

"She was a loving caring person who would help at the drop of a hat.

"Debbie was my best friend and I miss her dearly. Debbie confided in me near the time of her disappearance, I'm afraid it's very unlikely that this 'anonymous' letter indicates Debbie is still alive.

"I can assure you if that were true Debbie would have definitely contacted her boys as well as myself.

Debbie saw the children of best friend Helen Griggs Cheeseman most days before she disappeared. Picture: Helen Griggs Cheesman

"Debbie adored her boys as she did my children who she cared for on a daily basis."

Barry died in 2003, aged 14, of secondary bone cancer which he had battled for four years.

Mrs Griggs Cheesman, who gave evidence during last year's trial, added: "I know if Debbie was still alive she would have been here for him.

"I feel I've been robbed of my best friend when I needed her the most."

For information on how we can report on court proceedings, click here.

Read more: All the latest news from Deal

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