Police have turned to Facebook in the quest for information regarding the murder of Joanna Yeates.
Pretty landscape architect Jo, 25, was found strangled on the verge of a secluded lane in Failand, North Somerset, on Christmas Day – just three miles from her flat in Clifton, Bristol.
Her body was found by a couple walking their dog in snow-covered Longwood Lane, Failand, North Somerset, on Christmas morning.
Today Avon and Somerset Police – which was has already offered a £10,000 reward for information – launched a national Facebook campaign.
They turned to the popular social networking website as being more ”cost effective” than poster campaigns and leaflet distribution and has the potential to reach a wider audience with the chance of it going viral.
Detective Chief Inspector Phil Jones said: ”The majority of people these days are spending time on Facebook and other social networking sites; this has become part of everyday routine for many people.
”This advert allows us to point people to special features on our website with all the latest information, it allows them to contact the incident room direct online rather than calling in.
”I would once again urge anyone who may have not contacted my team and may have information that could help this enquiry to contact us. Let us decide if this information is significant.”
Scott Fulton, head of E-services for Avon and Somerset Police, added: ”Social media is growing rapidly and has become a daily factor in most people’s routine.
”On this enquiry alone we have had shares of the story from the Force’s Facebook page of 24,220, additionally there have been over 63,000 views of the news updates on our website, a further 18,000 on the dedicated Jo page and over 70,000 views of the CCTV clips on our Youtube channel.”
Jo’s body was found on Christmas Day in Longwood Lane, Failand, eight days after she was reported missing from her home in Clifton, Bristol.
In a press conference on Monday, police revealed they haven’t ruled out Jo being killed by more that one person and added that she wasn’t sexually assaulted.
The police are also keen to hear from the driver of a ‘light-coloured 4×4’ which was spotted in Longwood Lane on Friday, December 17 – the night Jo was last seen alive.
Officers are currently scouring more than 293 tonnes of domestic rubbish in search of the packaging of a Tesco pizza Jo bought on her way back to her flat after a night out with friends.
Jo’s landlord, 65-year-old former teacher Chris Jefferies, is currently on police bail after he was arrested on suspicion of her murder.
Anyone who can help the investigation can call the Operation Braid incident room on 0845 456 7000 or the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.