Date of Disappearance and Activities

There are some discrepancies with the date on which Joe disappeared. The family reported  difficulties with reporting Joe missing because when he relapsed, he would not visit them. He liked to keep his family away from his problems. However, they did maintain regular contact via phone during these episodes.  

Before he disappeared, Joe had been living with his older sister and had been helping her to move house and with childcare. On the 8th or 10th December, Joe got ready and told his sister that he was off to see some friends. He had earlier withdrawn some money to give to his sister for Christmas presents. He had around £20 still left in his possession. Since this withdrawal, he has never accessed his bank account, despite receiving regular benefits payments.  

It was later discovered that Joe went to visit some friends at the Green Door Garage in Headingley. They were friends of Joe who he used to use drugs with. The men at the garage claimed that Joe left them around midnight on a bike and there were no apparent concerns. The police later recovered Joe’s mobile phone from the garage and charged the two men from the garage. The men were later released on bail, but nothing further has happened in this regard.  

A neighbour of Joe’s initially reported him missing in February/March of 2011. However, she later  retracted this statement and moved out. Joe’s flat was cleared, cleaned, and re-let before he was  formally reported missing.