Bristol - Police in Bristol who are investigating the murder of Joanna Yeates, have advised local residents to continue with their usual precautions for safety as the hunt for her killer continues.Joanna Yeates, a 25-year old landscape architect, went missing on Friday December 17 after an evening in the pub with friends.
Ongoing investigations by Avon and Somerset Police revealed that after leaving the pub in Clifton Joanna, known as Jo, visited a Waitrose, a Bargain Booze and a Tesco Express on her way home where she purchased a pizza. The whereabouts of the pizza has become a mystery within the investigation as the receipt for the pizza was found in the flat but no trace of the pizza or its packaging.
Jo was reported missing on Sunday December 19 by her boyfriend Greg Reardon who had returned from a weekend visiting family in Sheffield.
The mystery around Jo's disappearance continued as it was revealed that, although Jo was missing, her belongings were all inside the basement flat she shared with her boyfriend. Those belongings included keys, phone and purse as well as the receipt for the pizza.
Hope that Jo would be found alive was dashed at 9.00am on Christmas Morning, December 25, when a body was found a few miles away on a roadside verge just off Longwood Lane, Failand in North Somerset by a couple walking their dog.
Police informed the Yeates family of the discovery. Formal identification and post-mortem examination were delayed due to the freezing conditions where the body was found but the following day, December 26, Avon and Somerset police were satisfied that it was the body of Joanna Yeates.
While a formal identification procedure is yet to be completed, police are satisfied that the body is that of 25-year-old landscape architect Joanna Yeates, who went missing during the weekend before Christmas.
It took two days for the post-mortem examination to be completed satisfactorily and on Tuesday December 28 Detective Chief Inspector Phil Jones announced that he was now leading a murder investigation and that Joanna Yeates cause of death was strangulation. "I am leading the murder investigation.
"The post mortem examination has taken longer than usual, because of the frozen condition of her body.
"The pathologist completed his examination last night, and concluded that the cause of her death was compression of the neck; in other words, strangulation."
"There are a number of lines of enquiry we are following up.
"One of these concerns apparent reports that several people were seen or heard in or around Joanna's flat on the night of her disappearance.
"Clearly this is something we are following up."
He also spoke of the support given to himself and his officer from the family of Jo Yeates, he said, "Late last night, I received a message from Mr Yeates in which he stated he and his family had 'total confidence'. Indeed, Mr Yeates said 'we truly believe that you will identify the person who killed our daughter.
"I am, of course, grateful to have the support of the family."
The following morning, Thursday December 30 at 7.00am Avon and Somerset Police arrested a 65-year old man on suspicion of the murder of Joanna Yeates. The media broke the news at 8.20am and within the hour Sky News had identified that the arrested man as the landlord of the property, 65-year old Chris Jefferies.
Sky News had also released footage of Mr Jefferies denying the comments it's alleged he made to police about seeing Jo on December 17 with two other people. Sky News reports that Mr Jefferies said, "It is a serious distortion of what I said to the police and I have no further comment to make as that, no doubt, will be distorted.
"I made some comment which was very, very, very much vaguer than that.
"Anything that I have said I have said to the police and I'm not prepared to make any comments to the media."
Forensic examination continued in Jo Yeates flat but also moved upstairs into Mr Jefferies flat and his car was taken away for forensic examination.
While police continued to question Mr Jefferies and forensic examination continued at the property on Canynge Road and around the area where Miss Yeates body was found, her family spent New Year's Day in remembrance.
Statements were released from Miss Yeates family and from her boyfriend Greg Reardon.
The family of Miss Yeates issued the following statement:
"From the moment that we received Greg's phone call on Sunday December 19 until now, time has had no meaning.
"We had a 'bad feeling' from that moment, which deepened when we arrived in Bristol.
"Our lives stopped from the time that we knew Jo was missing.
"So far, the worst time was during the first week, wondering whether Jo would be found.
"Was she alive or dead, and what happened to her? We dreaded going to our graves without knowing.
"In a very strange way, Jo's body being found was a relief. Although some questions have been answered, some remain.
"For us it was surprisingly easy to see Jo but there was a deep sadness. It meant we could welcome her back.
"Due to the circumstances, it will probably be some time before Jo can come home.
"We gain a little solace from the fact that the high point in Jo's life was her graduation in November when her life was 'perfect'.
"Our grief and sadness includes the experiences which she missed out on, in terms of family and children, and rising through her profession.
"For us, we will always miss the presence which came with her; hearing her voice, her lightness, and standing back with pride, watching her grow through life.
"Our thoughts and emotions at this time are solely with Jo. We really have little feeling for other things which may be happening. We have no doubt that this will change in the future.
"We have been overawed by the amount of support and practical help from people in Bristol - and especially her close friends Emma and Becky.
"We would also like to thank Jo's relatives and friends who set up facilities on websites, which generated an overwhelming level of response.
"We would like to thank everyone personally, but that would be impossible, so please take this as personal thank you to everyone."
Jo Yeates's family have previously visited the spot where her body was found
"We have received many cards and letters of sympathy. They have all been read.
"They have come from all over, many from people that we have never met. All of them moved us, especially a card in which the sender had written a simple four-line poem.
"In time we will endeavour to reply to those we can. We have found the police most considerate in the way we have been treated and kept informed as events have unfolded.
"We continue to give them our full support and help where we can. We are certain that Jo's killer will be caught.
"Jo was taken from us. The method has only intensified our grief. She was a beautiful and talented young lady who was destined to fly high.
"Her life was stolen from her and she was stolen from us."
Boyfriend Greg Reardon also paid tribute to this girlfriend and said:
"Jo was a beautiful woman, beautiful in mind, body and soul. She had a great career ahead of her as a landscape architect and would have achieved a great many more things in her life if only she was given the chance.
"I will always love her."
Chief Superintendent Jon Stratford spoke to waiting media a short time ago and gave this statement:
"I can understand why the public in the Clifton and wider Bristol area have concerns for their safety. Whoever killed Jo remains at large.
"However, I want to reassure the public that there remains no specific intelligence or information to suggest there is an increased threat to their safety at this time.
"Naturally we ask the public to continue to take the usual safety precautions. Lone women should avoid walking home alone after dark and householders should keep their premises secure and take care answering the door to strangers.
"We are maintaining increased patrols in the Clifton area to reassure the public. The investigation into Jo's murder continues with well over 70 police officers and staff dedicated to solving this crime.
"We have been overwhelmed with the level of response from members of the public and continue to ask anyone who thinks they may have any information to lead us to Jo's killer to contact us."
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