John
12-31-2010, 09:33 AM
Chris Jefferies, 65, was detained yesterday by detectives at the Victorian block of flats in Canynge Road, Clifton, Bristol, where the 25-year-old lived.
Police have until Monday morning to either charge Jefferies, release him on bail for further questioning, or release him with no further action.
Ms Yeates' body was discovered on Christmas Day, eight days after she disappeared.
She had been strangled.
Jefferies lived in a flat above Miss Yeates and her boyfriend Greg Reardon.
He reportedly told police he saw three people - one of whom he believes was Miss Yeates - leaving the property on December 17.
But speaking outside his home on Wednesday, Jefferies denied he had told police he saw Miss Yeates with an unidentified pair.
He told Sky News: "It is a serious distortion of what I said to the police and I have no further comment to make as that, no doubt, will be distorted.
"I made some comment which was very, very, very much vaguer than that.
"Anything that I have said I have said to the police and I'm not prepared to make any comments to the media."
He added: "I definitely cannot say that I saw Joanna Yeates that evening. No."
Sky News' crime correspondent Martin Brunt, in Bristol, said that after Jefferies had spoken to Sky News there were questions surrounding his claim.
"I think he first told neighbours that he thought he had seen Miss Yeates leaving with two people before he spoke to the police, but when we spoke to him he seemed rather vague about the details," he said.
"It then became a bit of mystery and it almost was a case of things not adding up."
Jefferies had taught English at the public school, Clifton College.
Reacting to the news, Miss Yeates' father said he was pleased an arrest had been made in connection with his daughter's death.
"At the end of the day, obviously I'm not happy because my daughter is still dead," said David Yeates, 63, speaking from his home in Ampfield, near Romsey, Hants.
"But we are pleased the police have made an arrest as they have been working very hard to make progress in this case."
Police are carrying out an intensive forensic exploration of Jefferies' flat and have removed two cars, a Chrysler and Volvo, from his Canynge Road property.
Police revealed on Wednesday that Miss Yeates bought two small bottles of cider from an off-licence after leaving the Ram pub in Bristol city centre.
CCTV showing Miss Yeates calling in at the Bargain Booze store on Regent Street was released in an effort to jog the memories of anyone who may have information relating to her murder.
Wearing a white winter jacket and carrying a black bag, the graduate looked carefree as she strolled into the shop.
Miss Yeates' body was found on Christmas Day, near a golf course in Longwood Lane in Failand, North Somerset, three miles from her flat.
Police are continuing to pursue a number of lines of inquiry, including the possibility that there was a sexual motive behind Miss Yeates's murder or that she knew her killer.
They are also keeping an "open mind" about whether Miss Yeates had been held captive before she was strangled, or was killed where she was found.
Crimestoppers announced it is now offering a reward of £10,000 for information leading to the conviction of her killer.
:: Anyone with information is asked to contact the Operation Braid incident room on 0845 456 7000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Source - yahoo.
Police have until Monday morning to either charge Jefferies, release him on bail for further questioning, or release him with no further action.
Ms Yeates' body was discovered on Christmas Day, eight days after she disappeared.
She had been strangled.
Jefferies lived in a flat above Miss Yeates and her boyfriend Greg Reardon.
He reportedly told police he saw three people - one of whom he believes was Miss Yeates - leaving the property on December 17.
But speaking outside his home on Wednesday, Jefferies denied he had told police he saw Miss Yeates with an unidentified pair.
He told Sky News: "It is a serious distortion of what I said to the police and I have no further comment to make as that, no doubt, will be distorted.
"I made some comment which was very, very, very much vaguer than that.
"Anything that I have said I have said to the police and I'm not prepared to make any comments to the media."
He added: "I definitely cannot say that I saw Joanna Yeates that evening. No."
Sky News' crime correspondent Martin Brunt, in Bristol, said that after Jefferies had spoken to Sky News there were questions surrounding his claim.
"I think he first told neighbours that he thought he had seen Miss Yeates leaving with two people before he spoke to the police, but when we spoke to him he seemed rather vague about the details," he said.
"It then became a bit of mystery and it almost was a case of things not adding up."
Jefferies had taught English at the public school, Clifton College.
Reacting to the news, Miss Yeates' father said he was pleased an arrest had been made in connection with his daughter's death.
"At the end of the day, obviously I'm not happy because my daughter is still dead," said David Yeates, 63, speaking from his home in Ampfield, near Romsey, Hants.
"But we are pleased the police have made an arrest as they have been working very hard to make progress in this case."
Police are carrying out an intensive forensic exploration of Jefferies' flat and have removed two cars, a Chrysler and Volvo, from his Canynge Road property.
Police revealed on Wednesday that Miss Yeates bought two small bottles of cider from an off-licence after leaving the Ram pub in Bristol city centre.
CCTV showing Miss Yeates calling in at the Bargain Booze store on Regent Street was released in an effort to jog the memories of anyone who may have information relating to her murder.
Wearing a white winter jacket and carrying a black bag, the graduate looked carefree as she strolled into the shop.
Miss Yeates' body was found on Christmas Day, near a golf course in Longwood Lane in Failand, North Somerset, three miles from her flat.
Police are continuing to pursue a number of lines of inquiry, including the possibility that there was a sexual motive behind Miss Yeates's murder or that she knew her killer.
They are also keeping an "open mind" about whether Miss Yeates had been held captive before she was strangled, or was killed where she was found.
Crimestoppers announced it is now offering a reward of £10,000 for information leading to the conviction of her killer.
:: Anyone with information is asked to contact the Operation Braid incident room on 0845 456 7000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Source - yahoo.