Gaia Pope pictured buying an ice cream from petrol station ‘with a family member’ one hour before she vanished
MISSING teenager Gaia Pope bought ice cream from a petrol station just an hour before she was last seen alive.
New CCTV pictures have been released of the 19-year-old after her mum Natasha revealed fears she is being held against her will in a garage or back of a van.
They show Gaia inside St Michael's Garage on Valley Road, Swanage, where she stopped for fuel with a relative on the day she went missing. The pair were driving between Langton Matravers and Swanage.
Gaia was next captured on CCTV two miles away as she ran down Morrison Road at 3.39pm on November 7.
Pensioner Rosemary Dinch, 71, who was arrested on suspicion of her murder with grandson Nathan Elsey, 19, claims to have seen Gaia at 4pm at her home on Morrison Road, Swanage.
Rosemary's son Paul was also quizzed by detectives last week, but his dad Greg said he has not been seen for a few days.
The images show Gaia was wearing a black jacket which she was not wearing when she disappeared.
Police confirmed the jacket was recovered at an address in Manor Gardens, where they have been searching the homes of Nathan and Rosemary's homes.
Divers were also seen scouring a pond at Godlingston Wood, a nature reserve on the outskirts of Swanage.
Senior Investigating Office Neil Devoto, of Dorset Police's Major Crime Investigation Team, said: "Our search efforts are continuing and I would again appeal to the public that if they have any information, however small, that could lead us to finding Gaia, please get in touch.
"I would like to offer my thoughts to Gaia's family and friends in what is an incredibly difficult time for them.
"It has been over a week since she went missing and we are doing all we can in order to find her."
Earlier today mum Natasha begged for help in bringing the missing 19-year-old home, describing her as "dynamic, fun, exceptionally intelligent, compassionate and loving".
The actress, who has appeared in Inspector Morse and The Bill,wrote on Facebook: "Backs of vans, in garages, somewhere she could be hidden, against her will. In a house......keep looking, be bold with respect.
"Thank you. Keep senses sharp. HELP US BRING HER BACK,! Cant bear it."
She added: "We all need Gaia back so she can follow through on her life plan.
"Her talents are cross the board. Society stands to gain massively by getting her back.
"GAIA is special indeed, so we best crack on discover the truth of things so we may bring her home very soon."
Yesterday cops released Rosemary and her grandson Nathan, 19 - Gaia's friend - from custody under investigation.
Gaia, who suffers from epilepsy and PTSD, disappeared after turning up at the home of her friend’s grandmother in a “distressed and agitated state”, it was claimed.
Gaia, from Langton Matravers, Dorset, told Rosemary "I'm too hot" as she stripped in front of the pensioner before she vanished last Tuesday.
Timeline leading up to Gaia's disappearance: The last known whereabouts of Gaia Pope
GAIA Pope went missing on Tuesday, November 7 - here's what we know about her whereabouts on that day.
- Gaia was seen buying an ice cream at 2.55pm at St Michael's Garage on Valley Road, Swanage. She had been travelling with a family member between Langton Matravers and Swanage.
- At 3.39pm she was caught on CCTV running down Morrison Road, Swanage, two miles away. Her family say the image is "frightening" because they don't know the story behind why she was running.
- Rosemary Dinch claims Gaia came to her house in Manor Garden, Morrison Road, Swanage, at 4pm. The 71-year-old was later arrested alongside her grandson Nathan Elsey on suspicion of Gaia's murder. They were released under investigation.
Today in an emotional appeal, Gaia's cousin Marienna Pope-Wiedemann, 26, urged the public to keep looking for Gaia.
Marienna said: "It was just an ordinary day, then she disappeared. It's frightening looking at the CCTV because we don't know what the story is. We just know she is alive.
"The whole family has been given no reason to believe anything other than that she is alive.
"The arrests were very confusing and shocking and it made it very difficult for the family and wider community to keep going.
"Gaia's mum and dad are devastated. There are no words for what they are going through.
"I believe she is out there, she is just waiting for us to find her."
Marienna says Nathan and Gaia were friends from school. She doesn't believe the arrested teen had "any reason to hurt her".
A tearful Marienna made a direct appeal to Gaia by saying: "We just want to know you are safe.
"You are deeply, deeply loved by us. Gaia baby, you are not in any trouble. Nobody is angry with you. We just want to know you are alright. We are not going to stop looking until we find you."
Today a social media campaign called Find Gaia relaunched as volunteers scour train stations across the area.
Gaia's friend Sheri Carr, who runs the page, told followers that search volunteers aren't giving up hope.
She said: "While many of you will have followed recent developments in the media and from Dorset Police, with no evidence to suggest Gaia is still not out there, search efforts continued last night.
"We targeted transport links around the time of Gaia’s last known whereabouts, with a group of dedicated volunteers.
"Efforts will continue today as we expand the search.
"Today we re-launched social media to continue our efforts."
Pensioner suspected of murdering 19-year-old Gaia Pope 'couldn't kill a chicken'
THE ex-husband of a pensioner suspected of killing Gaia Pope claims his terminally ill wife "couldn't even murder a chicken".
Greg Elsey today slammed the police probe as "something out of Hot Fuzz" as he insisted 19-year-old Nathan is a "lovely lad who wouldn't hurt a fly".
The 69-year-old said: "Rosemary is terminally ill and she is 71 years old.
"She couldn't murder a chicken.
"The police took her away on suspected murder. They're all bumbling, like something out of Hot Fuzz.
"Nathan is severely dyslexic, but he comes across as articulate. He's a young lad and he is petrified.
"He has never been in trouble before."
The pair are now lying low at Greg's bungalow in Romsey, Hants, after being held by police for 24 hours.
Forensic teams and sniffer dogs were yesterday scouring the home Rosemary shares with her son Paul, 49, in Swanage, Dorset.
Nathan, who is an aspiring actor and appeared alongside Harry Styles in film Dunkirk, lives on the same road as his gran. His home is also being searched by police.
Neighbours said they heard Rosemary and Gaia having an “altercation” on the day she went missing — Tuesday November 7.
Gaia normally lives in Langton Matravers, Dorset, but had been staying with her aunt on Argyle Road.
Neighbours say she had been visiting Nathan at his flat two or three times a week.
Yesterday Dorset Police revealed they now believe Gaia has “come to harm”.
Det Supt Paul Kessell said they still hoped she would be found alive, but added: “A major concern is the medication she really needs to have. If she gets in touch we can get the medication to her and make sure she is safe.”
Officers also said they had trawled CCTV footage and there was “nothing to suggest she has left the area”.
A set up by family friends on November 9 has almost reached its target of £2,000.
