Mystery donor offers £100k reward to find missing student

Jack O'Sullivan, second from left, on his graduation day with his family

An anonymous benefactor is offering a £100,000 reward for information on a missing man's whereabouts.

Jack O'Sullivan, who was 22 at the time of his disappearance, was last seen in March 2024 after he attended a house party in the Hotwells area of Bristol.

His mother, Catherine O'Sullivan, said she had initially questioned whether the offer was genuine. "Once we established that it was real, we were overcome by the generosity... it was a lot to take in," she said.

"If it does help us get some answers or find out where Jack is, we will be eternally grateful."

Several appeals have been issued by police since Mr O'Sullivan was reported missing

Mr O'Sullivan's brother, Ben, added: "We're in a position where we'll take any help we can get... any chance of being able to get the answers we require, we'll take."

Since Mr O'Sullivan's disappearance, his family have received abusive and threatening messages from strangers - with some people claiming to be holding Jack and demanding a ransom. His mother said this has been difficult to cope with.

"We get all sorts of peculiar messages and nasty information... it is incredibly hard to deal with but we are just doing what we can to try and understand what's happened," she said.

The family have been supported by The Missing People charity, which displayed several digital posters across Bristol to help raise awareness.

Police launched an "extensive" investigation the day Mr O'Sullivan went missing, with more than 30 different teams helping with the search.

On the night he went missing, Mr O'Sullivan had attended a birthday party in Hotwells and told his mother he would take an Uber home after leaving the party.

At 03:24 GMT, Mr O'Sullivan tried to phone a friend who was still at the party.

He was not able to reach them and when the friend called back 10 minutes later, they only managed to say "hello" before the phone line went dead, police said.

However, Mr O'Sullivan's phone remained active on the Find My Friends app until 06:44 GMT.

Avon and Somerset Police said it would now launch a "further review" of its investigation.

A spokesperson added they had "always taken an evidence-led, open-minded and transparent approach, with the shared aim of finding Jack".

"So we can be certain we've done everything possible to find Jack, a senior investigator in Avon and Somerset Police is carrying out a further review of the investigation," they said.

"We continue to ask the public to come forward with any information about Jack's disappearance."

Police said they had reviewed more than 100 hours of CCTV footage (time stamp is incorrect)

Ms O'Sullivan remains determined to solve the mystery of what happened to her son.

"It still dominates my thoughts, that's why we're so eager to get some answers and get Jack home. Living with hope is something that I still take as a positive, and that hope won't diminish," she added.

"It's like being on the worst roller coaster ride of your life... you've got constant anxiety but without an explanation for it, that's the hardest thing to deal with."

Police are urging anyone with information to come forward. People can also give information by contacting the charity Missing Persons, or through the family's webpage.