I think the point we are at, is pretty much summed up by Corrie's grandparents in their appeal.
1. He entered Short Brackland at 0325 and disappeared.
2. It appears he could have been meeting someone, which probably explains why he remained in Bury St Edmunds for 2 hrs.
What happened in the Horseshoe area is unclear to us.
With whom he was meeting is unknown to us.
What happened subsequently is a mystery to everyone.
It is also clear that there has been a total and complete breakdown in the relationship between Nicola/Tony and the Suffolk Police.
It is also evident that there is no unity in the appeals made by either parent in their search for Corrie.
No link has been established between Corrie's disappearance, the bin lorry and his phone, other than the phone pinging in Barton and the bin lorry's route subsequent route from the horseshoe area.
CCTV shows several unidentified people still remain unaccounted.
And that 3 vehicles have been identified but it is unknown what the term "identified" actually means, in respect to these vehicles.
From an outsider looking in, key to this case is
with whom was Corrie meeting, if indeed he was meeting someone. Information that would throw some light on that is not being shared, if it is indeed such information is known.
The Suffolk police have responded to Nicola's comments saying that they were "surprised" and "disappointed" by Nicola's comments, adding "we are using the similar resources we would put into a murder investigation", thus confirming that the case is still classed as a Missing Persons Enquiry.
Reference (the police ACC comments)
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-38221073