Was missing student Russell murdered by someone trying to steal his inheritance?

A STUDENT whose car was found abandoned at an East Coast beauty spot may have been murdered by someone who was trying to steal his inheritance.

Russell Bohling, 18, from West Ella, near Hull, was about to be given 300,000 by his parents to set him up in business, but vanished three days after discussing it with his father. His family now believe Russell, who is considered vulnerable because of a speech and language disorder, was murdered by someone he may have told about his windfall. No trace of him has been found despite an extensive police search.

At an emotional Press conference yesterday, his father Roger, 57, appealed for the public's help in identifying whoever was responsible.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: "The loss of Russell has broken the hearts of this family and changed their lives and we have yet to come to terms with that."

He added: "Russell deserved to live a full life and the person responsible for taking him from all of those that loved him must be found. Someone knows, or strongly suspects, who that person is and we beg you to do the right thing by Russell and make the identity if that person known to the police."

Russell was last seen by his parents at 8am on Tuesday, March 2, when he left home for Bishop Burton College, near Beverley, where he was studying. He never arrived.

Police are still treating the case as a missing person inquiry.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Russell was about to receive a major investment in his future when he went missing.

He got up half an hour earlier than usual and had dressed smartly

before getting in his blue Renault Clio and leaving the home he shares with his parents in the leafy Hull suburb of West Ella at 8am on Tuesday, March 2.

He had his overalls with him and was expected at Bishop Burton College, near Beverley, where he was in the second year of a bricklaying course, but never arrived. He had a near-perfect attendance record and was the top student in his group last year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

His car was found 45 miles away at Bempton Cliffs nature reserve, near Bridlington, displaying a 3.50 all-day parking ticket with his fingerprint on it, which had been bought on March 2 at about 11.30am.

Despite extensive land, sea and air searches and almost two months of a dedicated police inquiry, no further traces of him have been found.

His family have now revealed he was about to get 300,000 through the sale of property the Bohlings owned, and they believe he may have been murdered by someone who had learned of the windfall.

Father and son had discussed the money and plans for Russell's future when they visited a family holiday home in Ravenscar, North Yorkshire, on the Saturday before he went missing.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They talked about a number of business options and Russell was said to be "excited" and animated about the prospect.

But instead of seeing those plans come to fruition, his parents Roger and Christine were making a desperate plea for information in a Press conference yesterday, at which they said they believed Russell had been murdered.

Mr Bohling, 57, alongside his wife Christine and Chief Supt Paul Davison, of Humberside Police, read from a statement saying: "The family fully understands in conducting their inquiries the police had at the outset to keep an open mind, but having carefully and at length reviewed with senior police officers what is known about the events of Tuesday the 2nd of March, the family are satisfied that Russell left home that morning to travel to Bishop Burton College with the intention of returning home later that night.

"We believe that he met someone he knew and trusted that morning and subsequently lost his life, probably having being murdered by that person."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Davison, divisional commander of the East Riding, who is overseeing the investigation, said it was still being treated as a missing person case and the possibility that Russell had been murdered was just one line of several lines of inquiry.

He said: "From the first day of the investigation we have kept an open mind as to what has happened to Russell.

"Russell's disappearance is totally out of character and at a time in his life when he was doing so well academically and personally, and it is difficult to understand why he may have left voluntarily or wanted to kill himself."

He added: "I have a team working on every line of inquiry even as we approach the two-month anniversary of Russell's disappearance; the possibility that a criminal act has been perpetrated against Russell is continuing to be fully investigated."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Davison said in some respects the case was more difficult than a murder inquiry as there was no body and little physical evidence.

"This is the most complex set of circumstances you could ever wish to look at," he said. "We are waiting for a break."

Mr Davison said the inquiry had been reviewed by a specialist search advisor from the National Police Improvement Agency, and he was also asking a detective from another force to help.

Inquiries were extended across the county after addresses in Bradford, Bridlington and York were found in the satellite navigation system in Russell's car, but these proved negative.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Police are trying to establish his movements when he went out in the car between 4.30pm and 9.30pm on Saturday, February 27.

Russell is about 5ft 8in tall, of medium build, has short, brown hair and was last seen wearing a black Ben Sherman jacket, blue jeans and black leather trainers.

Anyone with information is asked to call 0845 6060 222.

Related topics: