Mother of missing law student Jack OSullivan, 23, says she receives constant blackmail offers about her son
The mother of missing law student Jack OSullivan, 23, has opened up about being constantly contacted by mediums offering information about her son in return for large sums of money.
The mother of missing law student Jack OSullivan, 23, has opened up about being constantly contacted by mediums offering information about her son in return for large sums of money.
Bristol student Jack went missing in Hotwells on March 2 this year after attending a friends house party.
The family have offered a £20,000 reward for information which could lead to Jacks discovery.
His mother Catherine OSullivan recently shared an update on the familys investigation on Facebook, in which she opened up about persistent £1,000 blackmail offers.
She said: I personally have mediums constantly contacting me and a very persistent person that feels the right to be able to suggest that he could give me the answer if he get £1,000 up front (blackmail).
The police dont feel the need to take such situations seriously as weve been told to expect these things when you put yourself in the public eye!
Jack OSullivan, 23, (pictured) left a house party in Hotwells, Bristol, on March 2 and never made it home
Jacks mother Catherine OSullivan (pictured) has opened up about being constantly contacted by mediums offering information about her son in return for large sums of money
I never in my wildest dreams ever imagined we could be involved in such things. As we continue to navigate our lives through this living hell can I please ask you continue to support us as best you can and consider your questions before you post.
Her post also explained that they had organised their own specialist dog search teams to cover areas not confirmed as searched by the police.
She wrote: I just wanted to share to this amazing group exactly where we are.
Over the past two weeks we have gone to extreme lengths to do everything we possibly can to find Jack.
I have done my very best to raise as much awareness and tried to do as much with the media as possible.
We have organised our own specialist dog search teams to cover areas that the police could not confirm had been covered.
We have been totally overwhelmed by the generosity of strangers - the metal detector group was the perfect example of human kindness.
We have tried our very best to obtain answers to why we cannot get a definitive response regarding the Apple air tag - although this doesnt make sense as the police have changed the narrative on this we feel we will not be able to get the information we need.
Jack OSullivan (centre) is pictured graduating with his parents Catherine (front) and Alan (right) and brother Ben (left)
Jack OSullivan (pictured) has now been missing for six months
CCTV shows Jack at one end of the Cumberland Basin - the main entrance to Bristol Docks, which is not tidal - crossing the Junction Swing Bridge. It is unknown if he interacted with anyone on the bridge, though police have appealed for witnesses
CCTV footage shows Jack walking under the Brunel Way flyover, having apparently walked there along Brunel Lock Road
Jack was in possession of an Apple AirTag in a brown leather case when he went missing, as well as a Peugeot 108 key fob, his driving licence, black card holder and his house key.
However, Catherine OSullivan has said she has been unable to gain access to data from the Apple AirTag due to privacy reasons.
Mrs OSullivan continued: We are continuing to pursue the release of the phone data, so we can be confident this has been analysed properly.
We have an extremely strong team of incredible people around us - the FB admin are working so hard to keep the information relevant and are working day and night to support us - we will be indebted to them forever!
We have a Missing Persons expert, PI and a legal team that are working so hard to get us an answer and to bring Jack home.
Along the way we have difficult questions that the FB community feel they deserve an answer to.
Hopefully you will understand at times it is difficult to provide the answers to these questions - we all are trying to make sense of a situation that just doesnt add up!
What we have been told is: Jack went to a party, had a lot to drink and potentially hit his head when he fell down the stairs as he was leaving.
We have no idea how relevant this information is as we have not personally seen any statements from the party guests, despite asking.
She concluded: Thank you to everyone out there that is behind us in our quest to find Jack. Sometimes words are not enough but for now thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Jack OSullivan (pictured) was studying law at Bristol university when he went missing in March
Catherine previously told MailOnline that she uncovered this footage while trawling through CCTV herself. Although police have not confirmed this is Jack, the family say it his walk and gait
The most recent appeal from Avon and Somerset Police urged members of the public to check any dashcam footage, CCTV or doorbell cameras from that night.
Avon and Somerset Polices latest statement relating to the investigation into missing 23-year-old Jack reads: Detectives have carried out an extensive investigation since Jack OSullivan went missing.
He was last seen in the Cumberland Basin area of Bristol in the early hours of Saturday 2 March after leaving a house party in nearby Hotwells.
This investigation has included reviewing and re-reviewing more than 100 hours of CCTV footage, carrying out expert-led searches by land and water involving multiple teams, including the dog unit, drone unit and specialist dive team, proactively seeking and acting on advice from national policing specialists, and issuing multiple appeals to the public and media for information.
Were continuing to seek further guidance and support from national experts, including an oceanographer, and were following any advice they offer.
Sadly, despite the efforts carried out to date, weve been unable to find Jack. We fully appreciate the distress and anguish this is having on Jacks family and our thoughts are very much with them.
We recognise the familys concerns over the way theyre receiving updates on the ongoing investigation, as well as with the investigation itself, and an Assistant Chief Constable has been in direct contact with them to arrange to meet with them so she can listen to their views and discuss how we can best support them moving forward.
Weve also received a formal complaint from Jacks family and this was voluntarily referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Although it didnt meet the criteria for a mandatory referral, we felt it was important to refer it voluntarily to allow for independent oversight of our ongoing investigation and the matters raised by Jacks family in their complaint to us.
Its important we remain as open and transparent as we can be, and this decision was in keeping with our overriding aim.
The IOPC responded to confirm the referral is suitable for a local investigation, so our Professional Standards Department are continuing to progress the complaint and will respond directly to Jacks family when this process has concluded.
Avon and Somerset Police are continuing to appeal to anyone with information, asking anyone who may be able to help with the investigation to call 101 and give the call handler the reference number 5224055172, or complete the online appeals form.
