Suitcase man may hold clue To missing teenager

Jayden, 17, from Oxford, has been missing for nearly two weeks and Thames Valley Police believe a young man seen struggling with a suitcase in the area could hold the key to the investigation.

Two men aged 17 and 22 remain in police custody on suspicion of murder in connection with her disappearance.

The younger man was arrested after he attended a police station in Oxfordshire, while the 22-year-old was arrested at an address in Christchurch Road, Reading, on Thursday night. Forensic officers have been examining the property.

Jayden was last seen in the Iffley Road area of Oxford mid-afternoon on December 3 and failed to return home that evening as planned.

Det Chief Supt Andy Murray said police were now focusing on trying to find a man who was seen with a large suitcase in a field in the small village of Upton in the early hours of December 9.

“That suitcase was large, it was heavy, it was difficult to manage and that man was having difficulty removing that suitcase from that area,” he said.

Mr Murray said the same man with the suitcase was seen in nearby Didcot about half an hour later.

The man has been described as aged about 20, white, about 5ft 6in, of medium to slim build, with short dark hair. The suitcase was about 3ft by 2ft, about 15in deep and light coloured, probably made of canvas material.

Mr Murray said police were also searching addresses that Jayden “may be associated with”.

Mr Murray said officers were certain the man spotted in Upton with the suitcase was the same man seen shortly after in Didcot, but could not say why.

He said Jayden’s family were still hoping for the best.

“As you might imagine, they are distraught,” he said.

“They’ve still got hope but they are distraught and they want their daughter to come home.”

But Mr Murray said the fact Jayden had not used her phone or accessed her bank account since the disappearance could indicate a worse scenario.

“I’m afraid the detective in me leads me to conclude that Jayden may well have been murdered and that’s why we have approximately 50 detectives out there still trying to find Jayden.”