The former housemate of missing student Jack O’Sullivan has said it is ‘hard to put into words’ what the last six months have been like without his friend.
Trainee lawyer Jack went missing on March 2 as he walked home from a night out at a house party in the Hotwells area of Bristol.
He appeared active on Find My Friends, which showed he was Granby Hill, near the Clifton Suspension Bridge, at 6.44am the following morning.
But police were still hunting for the former University of Exeter student on his 23rd birthday on March 28.
His former housemate, Greg Emerick, told Metro.co.uk that the disappearance was out of character for his friend, who is normally ‘very good’ at checking in with his family.
Greg, who had remained in Exeter for an additional year to complete his master’s degree, was contacted by Jack’s older brother Ben on the day he disappeared.
He said: ‘Ben called me to ask if Jack had come to Exeter on the off chance as he hadn’t come home that night.
‘I quickly said I hadn’t heard from him since February 29. Initially, I wasn’t all that worried, it did just seem a bit strange.’
The pair had quickly formed a close friendship after meeting in university halls in 2020.
Greg said: ‘He’s always someone that’s been a good listener. He’s never the loudest person in the room, but is a good mix between introverted and extroverted; he liked going out.
‘He’s very caring, he has a good sense of humour and he’s very compassionate.’
Jack had been down to Exeter to visit Greg just two weeks prior to his disappearance.
The pair lived together throughout their years at university, and Greg recalled that Jack had been the organised one who sorted out their lodgings.
Jack’s family have recently been the victim of trolls, who are contacting them to ‘make money from their trauma’.
His mother Catherine told BBC News: ‘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.’
The family are offering a £20,000 reward for any information leading to the discovery of Jack, funded by donations from GoFundMe.
The page has now raised almost £40,000, which his family have said will be used in the search.
Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall of Avon and Somerset Police 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 5,500.
‘Missing people are somebody’s loved ones, they’re somebody’s family, and we don’t close the door on that.’
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