The mother of law student Jack O'Sullivan who vanished after a night in Bristol six months ago revealed her family have been sent sick ransom demands.
Catherine O’Sullivan said she had lost faith in Avon and Somerset Police’s search for Mr O’Sullivan, 23, was last seen at around 3.15am on March 2 in the area of Brunel Lock Road in the city’s Hotwells area.
More than 1,000 taxi drivers were contacted by detectives looking for the 23-year-old who had been walking home after being with friends. Thousands of local turned out to support the hunt at the time.
In an interview with BBC News, Mrs O’Sullivan disclosed trolls had approached his loved ones seeking to make money out of their trauma.
She said on Monday: “I have had messages suggesting that Jack is being held and asking for ransom amounts for him.
“People telling me that awful things have happened to him and where I might find him.
“But what would anybody do in my situation? I have to read them, as bad as I know it is, putting myself through hell at times, but I can't ignore anything.”
Mrs O’Sullivan said she went “out daily” search for her son “until I run out of areas I can feasibly check”.
“We basically climb fences, jump into ditches…,” she told reporters. “It gives me the peace of mind that I know that area’s covered.
“I’m Jack’s mum, and my aim on this earth at the moment is to find Jack.”
Mr O’Sullivan had been living at home with his parents while studying a law conversion course in Bristol, having graduated from Exeter University.
Since he went missing, the Facebook group Find Jack has gained more than 57,000 members from all over the world. It has a constant stream of posts, pleas and theories about his disappearance.
In June, Mr O’Sullivan’s parents lodged a formal complaint against Avon and Somerset Police.
Officers made a voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which recommended a local investigation be carried out.
Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall said: “Our staff and officers remain committed to doing everything we can to find Jack and we do not underestimate what a distressing time this has been, and continues to be, for his family.
“When I look at missing persons investigations [in Avon and Somerset] over the last year, we’ve had around five-and-a-half thousand.
“Missing people are somebody’s loved ones, they’re somebody’s family, and we don’t close the door on that.”
The force renewed its appeal for witnesses and said they will update Mr O’Sullivan’s relatives when their probe is finalised.
Mr O’Sullivan is described as white, around 5ft 10ins tall, of slim build, with short, brown hair.
He was wearing a quilted green/brown Barbour jacket, a beige woollen jumper, navy chinos and brown leather trainers with white soles.
