Open Verdict on Black Student who Drowned as Coroner Says ‘We are in Realms of Speculation’

Richard Okorogheye, 19, was found in Epping Forest pond

Undated image of Richard Okorogheye, with his mother Evidence Joel, at their home in west London. Family handout

A coroner has recorded an open verdict on a student who went missing and was later found drowned in a pond in Epping Forest, saying, “We are in the realms of speculation.”

Richard Okorogheye, 19, was found in Wake Valley pond on Apr. 5, 2021, two weeks after he left his home in Ladbroke Grove, west London, on the evening of March 22.