An anonymous benefactor has offered a £100,000 reward for information that leads to the safe return of Jack O’Sullivan, the 23-year-old student who disappeared in Bristol 18 months ago, his family said Wednesday.
The offer, which the family have verified as genuine, was posted on the Find Jack Facebook page, which has grown to more than 99,000 members. The reward notice states that one payment of £100,000 can be claimed by a person or group (excluding police officers) who provide information that leads "directly or indirectly" to Jack being physically reunited with his mother Catherine O’Sullivan or other immediate family members. The family asked that any information be passed to [email protected], the Missing People charity (116000), or Avon and Somerset Police on 101 quoting incident reference 5224055172.
Jack O’Sullivan was last seen in the early hours of March 2 last year in the Brunel Lock Road/Brunel Way area of Bristol. Police and the family say CCTV captured him walking around the Cumberland Basin and beneath the Plimsoll Swing Bridge, with a later likely sighting at about 3:38 a.m. on Bennett Way, heading toward the city centre. His phone’s last known activity has been reported as occurring after 6 a.m. in the vicinity of Cumberland Basin and Hotwells, and his bank account has shown no activity since his disappearance.
Catherine O’Sullivan said the family initially feared the offer was another hoax after receiving false leads in the past, but were "overcome by the generosity" once they established the reward was real. She said she has spent every day searching for her son since he vanished and that the family is no closer to answers. "If it does help us get some answers or find out where Jack is, we will be eternally grateful," she said.
Avon and Somerset Police said they would carry out a further review of the investigation. The force said it has already examined more than 100 hours of CCTV, conducted about 200 hours of searches on the river and surrounding banks, carried out mounted and land searches, and deployed drones. Officers said more than 30 different teams and organisations have supported the inquiry, including the fire service, HM Coastguard and the National Police Air Service, and that independent advice had been sought from the National Crime Agency and an oceanographer.
Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall urged members of the public to review any memories from that period, noting the disappearance occurred on a cold, snowy day. "You may recall seeing something which, on the surface, seemed unimportant, but may be an important piece of information for us to know," she said, asking people to think back to their journeys in the area on the night in question.
Police said earlier inquiries reviewed phone and CCTV data and that the family had pushed for mobile-phone records to be released under data protection rules. The University of Exeter graduate had returned to Bristol to study law and had attended a house party in Hotwell Road on the night he disappeared. The family told media that during the party O’Sullivan tumbled down a flight of stairs and hit his head; a brief scuffle with another partygoer was also reported but did not escalate.
The reward stipulates that payments will be made for information leading to Jack being physically reunited with his family. The family and police have emphasised that the investigation remains open and evidence-led and that anyone with information, no matter how minor it may seem, should contact the channels provided.
Avon and Somerset Police said the recent review will ensure investigators have explored all lines of inquiry. The family said they will continue their campaign to find Jack and urged anyone with information to come forward to assist the ongoing investigation.