Field where Gaia’s clothing found had been searched already
THE mystery over the disappearance of Gaia Pope deepened last night when it was claimed clothes that were found had been dumped there days after she vanished.
The uncle of a friend of the teenager was also released by police after spending 24 hours in custody following his arrest. Paul Elsey’s father accused Dorset Police of waging a witch hunt against his family and suggested members may sue for wrongful arrest.
Mr Elsey’s nephew Nathan Elsey, 19, an aspiring actor, and his mother Rosemary Dinch, 71, had also previously been arrested and then released.
Gaia, 19, went missing on Nov 7, sparking a huge hunt in Swanage in Dorset. Items of clothing that she was thought to be wearing on the day she disappeared were found in a field close to a cliff top on Thursday, nine days after searches began.
According to a spreadsheet of search locations on the Find Gaia Facebook page, the area beside the field where the clothing was found had been scoured by volunteers on Nov 9 with a further search two days later. Nothing was found on those occasions. A family friend described the discovery of the clothing, including a white trainer, as “very odd” and that it raised questions of when they were left there.
The friend told local news: “That area has been searched, both by the coastguard and our search teams. Our searchers have been there multiple times and never found anything.
“It’s next to a working quarry and the farmer has been too. As far as we know they were found in open field, not hidden, which raises questions about when they were there. We don’t know if some- one put them there recently.” Dorset Police confirmed the clothes were almost certainly Gaia’s. Det Supt Paul Kessell, said: “Clothing located south of Priests Way appears to be Gaia’s and her family confirmed they match what she was believed to have been wearing.”
Dorset Police arrested Mr Elsey, 49, a carpenter, on suspicion of murder on Thursday. He was released yesterday.
Greg Elsey, his father, who lives in Romsey in Hants, said: “My family has totally been the victim of a witch hunt.”
He suggested the family may consider legal action for wrongful arrest.
Gaia, who suffers from epilepsy and did not have her medication, had been agitated when she banged on the door of Ms Dinch, who is thought to be the last person to see her alive.
Richard Sutherland, Gaia’s father, told Good Morning Britain of his fears that it may have played a part in her disappearance: “Doctors said that she is at risk of sudden death from epilepsy and that’s meant it’s been more difficult to find her.”
The last confirmed sighting of Gaia was at Ms Dinch’s home in Manor Gardens at about 4pm on Nov 7.