Gilbert Wynter (c. 1961 – disappeared 1998) was a 37-year-old jeweller who vanished without a trace in
Tottenham
Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Walthams ...
,
London, England
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
in March 1998. He is widely believed either to have been murdered or to be in hiding in the
Caribbean.
Gang activity
Wynter worked as an enforcer for the
Adams family
The Adams family was a prominent political family in the United States from the late 18th through the early 20th centuries. Based in eastern Massachusetts, they formed part of the Boston Brahmin community. The family traces to Henry Adams of Ba ...
crime syndicate. In 1994, allegedly with assistance from fellow enforcer and future crime boss Ray Barton, he murdered drug dealer Claude Moseley with a samurai sword, as punishment for pocketing profits from a drug operation run by the Adams family. He went on trial for the murder, but key witnesses refused to give evidence against him, one preferring to go to jail for contempt of court, and the case was dropped.
Disappearance
On 9 March 1998, Wynter left the house he shared with his girlfriend, driving off in her
Nissan Micra
The Nissan Micra, also known as the , is a supermini car ( B-segment) that has been produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan since 1982.
The Nissan Micra replaced the Japanese-market Nissan Cherry. It was exclusive to Nissan J ...
. Later that day, he spoke to her by phone, but did not disclose his location. Wynter was never seen again, and the car was subsequently discovered abandoned in June. His bank account, credit card and mobile phone have not been used since then.
Theories
There are two main theories for the disappearance, both hinging on a
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternativel ...
deal where £800,000 went missing. Either Wynter double-crossed the Adams family, stole the money and was killed accordingly in retribution (allegedly being buried in the foundations of the
Millennium Dome), or fled to the Caribbean with the money and remained in hiding.
Related deaths
Saul Nahome, financial advisor to the Adams family, was gunned down in front of his house by an unknown assailant on 5 December 1998. Initially, it was claimed that he was murdered by the Adams gang, due to fears he might crack under police pressure and inform on the rest of the gang. Police at the time dismissed this, claiming that most likely he was killed by a rival gang in order to cause disruption.
However, Nahome and Wynter knew each other personally, had worked together in the past, and Nahome was allegedly involved in the same cannabis deal as Wynter, and so police now believe that Wynter's disappearance and Nahome's murder are related.
In 2011, police reexamined evidence and questioned crime boss Terry Adams and 20 other gang members including former ally Barton about both men, but with no results.
It has been suggested that former Adams family enforcer and Bristol drug baron Andrew Baker was responsible for the murder of both men.
See also
*
List of fugitives from justice who disappeared
This is a list of fugitive
A fugitive (or runaway) is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from jail, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals. ...
*
List of people who disappeared
Lists of people who disappeared include those whose current whereabouts are unknown, or whose deaths are unsubstantiated. Many people who disappear are eventually declared dead ''in absentia''. Some of these people were possibly subjected to enf ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wynter, Gilbert
1960s births
1990s missing person cases
British jewellers
Missing people
Missing person cases in England
1998 in London