The distraught parents of missing Bristol woman Joanna Yeates broke down in tears today as they revealed they fear she has been abducted.
Best friend Rebecca Scott (left) and Joanna Yeates (right)
David and Teresa Yeates said their worst fears are that she has been dumped in the snow.
Pretty landscape architect Joanna, 25, was last seen leaving a pub in Bristol at 8pm on Friday evening after drinks with colleagues.
She arrived home after picking up shopping at two supermarkets but has not been seen or heard from since.
Detectives found the Tesco receipt at home along with all her possessions – but yesterday revealed that a pizza she bought on the way home was missing.
Chief Inspector Gareth Bevan, of Avon and Somerset Police, held up a Tesco Finest mozzarella, tomato and basil pesto pizza as he appealed for help from the public.
He said: ”We know from CCTV she went into Tesco and bought a pizza similar to this.
”She then went back to the flat. We found her coat, mobile phone and keys at the flat but not the pizza or its wrapping.
”I would like to appeal to anyone who knows what has happened to Jo or the pizza to come forward.”
Asked whether he was investigating if she had been abducted, DCI Bevan said: ”That’s one thing we are looking into.”
Joanna – known as Jo to friends – was reported missing by her boyfriend Greg Reardon, 27, when he returned to the flat they shared in the upmarket Clifton on Sunday night.
She had not taken her wallet, phone or even her coat with her and police have categorised her disappearance as ”high risk”.
Yesterday David, 63, and Teresa, 58, of Ampfield, Hants., gave an emotional appeal for the return of their ”Little Jo”.
David, who works in IT, said: ”I think she was abducted after getting home to her flat. We have no idea of circumstances because of what was left behind.
”She would not have gone out after leaving these things behind and was taken away somewhere. Don’t know by whom. She’s a sensible girl and professional lady.
”She wanted to be in that night and all weekend.
”Greg and Jo were a lovely couple – he is now going through hell.”
Teresa, a cashier at Waitrose, said: ”She had a new flat and new things and wanted it to be special.
”She wanted to finish her Christmas shopping do some baking for when friends were due to come around for a party at the flat on Tuesday.”
Asked to talk directly to those who may have harmed Jo, she said: ”If you’ve got her – give her back.
”I miss not being able to hold her, cuddle her and say everything is alright. I just want her back. My little jo come back. Whoever’s got her dont keep her – give her back to us.
”Nobody can feel the pain we feel.”
Blue-eyed Jo was seen leaving drinks with a group of work friends at The Ram pub in Park Street, Bristol.
She left there alone at 8pm and visited Waitrose in Clifton at 8.10pm and Tesco Express on Regent Street at 8.40pm – less than half-a-mile from her home.
But from there she vanished.
Best pal Rebecca Scott, 25 – the last person to speak to Jo – said the pair had chatted happily when the missing blonde rang her while walking home from the pub at 8.30pm.
She told how they both excitedly discussed their Christmas and New Year plans for 15 minutes.
Boyfriend Greg raised the alarm at midnight on Sunday after returning to the flat at 8pm, following a visit to his half-brother Francis, 33, in Sheffield over the weekend.
He told police he had tried to call and text Jo during the weekend but had not got a response.
Officers searching her flat for clues found the receipt from her purchases at Tesco, along with her coat, keys and wallet.
They also seized Greg’s mobile phone and computer.
Jo, originally from Romsey, Hants., attended the private boarding school Embley Park, where fees cost up to £7,000 a term.
She went to college in Winchester for A-levels in art, biology and geography and studied landscape design and horticulture at Writtle agricultural college in Chelmsford, Essex.
After getting a job at landscape designers Hyland Edgar Driver, Jo relocated from Winchester to Bristol, when she landed a job at the Building Design Partnership.
She started in September 2008 and it was there, at Hill Street in Bristol’s city centre, she met boyfriend Greg – an Architect working towards his professional chartership.
Earlier this year she completed a masters degree in garden design at the city’s university.
The two shared a rented £200,000 flat on Canynge Road, Clifton.
Keith Pavey, Director of BDP, today said he hoped Jo could be back with them soon.
He said: ”She is a highly valued and popular member of staff.
”She is always bright and cheerful and a great team player so to go missing without reason would, as far as we are concerned, be completely out of character.
”Our thoughts go out to Jo’s parents and her partner Greg, who also works for us here in Bristol, at this very distressing time.
”I would like to make this appeal to anyone who may have seen Jo on Friday evening in the Clifton area of Bristol or can provide any information, however trivial they may think it is, to contact the police.
”We are all hoping upon hope that Jo will be back with us soon.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 0845456 7000 quoting Operation Braid or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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