A “complete stranger” has come to the aid of a family desperately searching for a student who vanished after a night out, by stumping up a £100,000 reward for anyone with information on his whereabouts.
Catherine O’Sullivan said she was “in total shock” after receiving the offer of support to find her son, Jack, who was last seen leaving a house party in the Hotwells area of Bristol in March last year.
Despite an extensive investigation by Avon and Somerset Police to locate Mr O’Sullivan, including diving teams to search the River Avon in the city, no evidence has emerged to give the anguished family a clue of where he is.
But there is now hope that the £100k reward, which supersedes the £20k appeal put up by the family, will finally provide answers.
“It came as a total shock,” Mrs O’Sullivan told The Independent. “It is hard, the way things have been, you question it at first, such a significant amount, but once we had our legal team check it, we welcomed it. It’s very generous.
“It came from a complete stranger who had been following our situation and basically told us they were a parent and in a position to help, and wanted to do this for us. It was such a supportive gesture, and we really hope it makes a difference.
“I don’t like the thought of a reward. I don’t like someone giving money for something someone would not give freely to help a family in need, but that’s the world we live in. If it does help get some answers, then we will be eternally grateful.”
Mr O’Sullivan was at a birthday party on the night he disappeared, telling his mother he would take an Uber home before leaving. Shortly after, he tried to call a friend, but when they called back, the phone line went dead.
CCTV showed the student at three locations nearby, but no further trace has been found.
“It’s a mystery,” said Mrs O’Sullivan, who said every moment of her life was consumed with trying to find her son.
“We are open-minded because we have no evidence, but I feel strongly that he didn’t fall in the water due to expert advice, and it’s my assumption that he got into a vehicle that evening and was taken outside the Bristol area.”
As part of the appeal, the family run a page on Facebook which has 100,000 members – but the attention also brings abuse and even messages from strangers claiming to be holding Mr O’Sullivan for ransom.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Jo Youle, chief executive of charity Missing People, welcomed the reward. She said: “It is keeping in the public domain, because 18 months later, some families get news very quickly, which is great, and some families like Jack’s, are still waiting for news. And I do think, a moment like this… can really help.”
Avon and Somerset Police said a senior investigator was now carrying out a “further review” of its investigation.
A spokesperson told The Independent: “We’ve had the support of more than 30 different police teams and partner organisations during the investigation, and we’ve sought the very best expert and independent advice, support and guidance from nationally recognised experts, including from the National Crime Agency.
“Despite this, we’ve sadly not been able to find Jack and we fully recognise the devastating impact his disappearance continues to have on his family and loved ones. “
