Doubts on print deepen missing student mystery

Russell Bohling, 18, from West Ella, near Hull, has not been seen since 8am on March 2 when he left home in the family's blue Renault Clio, which was later found abandoned at Bempton Cliffs nature reserve, near Bridlington.

After making extensive inquiries, senior officers at Humberside Police believe the most likely explanation is that he killed himself or had an accident, and in April the force said Russell's fingerprint had been found on a 3.50 all-day parking ticket displayed in the car, which had been bought on March 2 at 11.30am.

The thumbprint was identified as Russell's from matches to two other prints found on a DVD case and a Playstation 3 game box in his bedroom.

But it can now be revealed the print does not match 19 others taken from his room and the car.

Russell's family, who have always suspected third-party involvement and believe he may have been murdered, are now questioning whether he had even been to Bempton that day.

His father Roger, 57, said: "We find this very disturbing because it doesn't seem to be conclusive information to come to that point of view. If it's not (his print) it starts to bring into question, was he ever there?

"We discovered there were 19 usable prints taken from Russell's room, the car and personal possessions.

"We said do any of those 19 prints match the prints found on the DVD case and game box? No they don't. We want to know where each of those prints have come from.

"The point is if it's not Russell's fingerprint on the ticket and the print matches the DVD and Playstation 3, these must have been given by him to another person he knew and that person appears on the ticket.

"It's the first real evidence, I suppose, that points to our suspicion that there's a third party involved and the police were wrong about that all the way through."

He added: "The significance of the fingerprint was of great importance to us as a family. We were assured there was no doubt it was his."

The family are also in dispute with the force over its analysis of the car and the distance Russell could have travelled on the fuel it had. They recreated the journey it took after being filled up on March 1 – a round trip from home to East Hull Baths, which Russell and his mother Christine made that night, and the journey from home to Bempton on March 2.

On their reconstruction the car ran out of diesel at Brandesburton, 20 miles short of Bempton.

Russell's steel toe-capped boots, which he used for the construction course he was taking at Bishop Burton College, near Beverley, were also missing from his rucksack, which had been left in the car.

Russell, who is considered vulnerable because of a speech and language disorder, had got up earlier than usual on March 2 and had dressed smartly.

He had a near-perfect attendance at the college and was expected there on the day he disappeared, although it is not known whether he arrived.

He was about to get about 300,000 from his parents through the sale of property, and he and his father had discussed a number of business options when they travelled together to the family holiday home in Ravenscar, North Yorkshire, four days before he went missing.

During the investigation police found a recording on a dictaphone in Russell's bedroom in which he talked about ending his life. A voice analysis expert concluded it had been made by a male aged 15 or over.

The Bohlings believe the recording was made in his last year at secondary school when he was anxious about not taking exams like his peers and feared he would never get a job. They said he had overcome his anxieties and was doing well at college.

A spokeswoman for Humberside Police said: "A thorough forensic investigation has concluded that a number of fingerprints found on Russell Bohling's personal items in his bedroom at his home match a fingerprint found on the parking ticket found in his car at Bempton."

The spokeswoman said the force had taken "every step available" to establish Russell's where- abouts.