Tearful sister begs missing midwife: Please come home
TEARS pouring down her face, the sister of missing midwife Samantha Eastwood yesterday begged her to come “home where you belong”.
Police say they are keeping an “open mind” over Ms Eastwood’s disappearance, but have arrested and bailed a 32-year-old man on suspicion of kidnap.
Ms Eastwood, 28, was last seen leaving Royal Stoke University Hospital at 7.45am on Friday July 27 after a night shift.
Yesterday her sister Gemma, 26, sobbed uncontrollably as she told a press conference “without her, half of me is gone” and urged her to get in touch.
She said: “Samantha, if you are listening, please get in touch. We love you and miss you so much and need you home where you belong.”
Gemma added: “If she’s out there, or anyone knows where she is, get her home.”
Support worker Gemma described her “happy, bubbly” sibling as “warm and generous with a great sense of humour”.
She said: “Samantha is a fantastic woman and friend. She is warm, friendly, loyal, kind and generous, with a great sense of humour. And whoever she is with she will always make their times together fun.
“Samantha was determined to become a midwife from a young age and succeeded. All of Samantha’s work friends describe her as an amazing midwife. She is caring, harmless and gentle. Samantha is selfless and would do anything for anyone before herself.”
Staffordshire detectives searching for Ms Eastwood have released pictures of her missing £85 Radley designer purse.
They were unable to say what was in the purse, but added that it appeared to be the only missing item of her property.
Police were tight-lipped about whether they had recovered Ms Eastwood’s mobile phone.
They would say only that the information was part of an “ongoing investigation”.
Detective Superintendent Simon Duffy said: “The only item of property that we can see is missing is a fairly distinctive purse.
“Hopefully we can get images of that purse out, just in case anyone has discovered that in any location since the last positive sighting of Samantha, or something similar.
“We’d be very keen on hearing that information.”
Police have been outside the Stoke home of Katie Stirling, 32, the sister of Ms Eastwood’s ex-fiance John Peake, 34, for four days, but have refused to say why.
Mrs Stirling lives in the house with her husband Michael, 32.
Police are also probing neighbours’ claims that they heard screaming at Ms Eastwood’s home, six hours after she was last seen.
Ms Eastwood was due to marry steam railway enthusiast Mr Peake in June but their engagement was called off and Mr Peake moved out of her home.
The couple remain so close that Mr Peake’s mother Lynn still refers to Ms Eastwood as her daughter-inlaw on social media.
Ms Eastwood’s mother Carole has also appealed for help to find her daughter, saying: “I just want my baby back.” The Stirlings were believed to be staying with relatives. A friend of the couple described them as “lovely people”.
Mr Stirling is a fencing contractor who carries out other garden work including patio installation.
Neighbour Sue Tatton, 58, said: “It is strange to have them [the police] there for so long.”
Another neighbour, Aidan Ward, 36, said: “The police have been there for days.
“It wasn’t shocking at first but it is now because it is days since the police first arrived.”
Staffordshire Police have described the disappearance of Ms Eastwood as “completely out of character”.
Her blue Volvo XC60 SUV was later found at her home in Baddeley Green, with the keys in her house, along with her bank cards.
Mr Duffy said: “She left the hospital in her own car, wearing her work uniform, and at the time of leaving she was in good spirits.
“This is completely out of character for her to drop off the grid.”
Ms Eastwood is white, about 5ft 3ins, of average build, with shoulderlength ginger hair.
She has brown eyes and complexion with freckles. a fair