Annie McCarrick remains dig continues as murder probe cops examine phones & laptops for evidence after suspect released
THE suspect in Annie McCarrick's murder walked from garda custody flanked by his solicitor today - after a cadaver dog was drafted into the site gardai are digging up as they search for her body.
The Irish Sun can reveal that although the 62-year-old was released without charge today , cops are examining a number of old devices, phones and laptops, from his Co
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The search is expected to continue over the weekend
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A cadaver dog was brought in to assist the gardai's search for her body
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Tragic Annie McCarrick has been missing for over 30 years
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The businessman became the first ever person to be arrested in relation to the missing American when detectives sensationally swooped on his home on Thursday morning before 8am.
We have learned that he made no admissions, is understood to have denied
Specialist investigators quizzed him over more than five separate alibis which the
They are also investigating claims that the man - who was known to Annie - assaulted her while he was drunk in an incident prior to her vanishing.
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READ MORE ON ANNIE MCCARRICK
He walked out of Irishtown Garda Station in
Almost 17 kilometres away in Clondalkin, a cadaver dog - used to pick up and track the scent of human remains - was drafted into a property on the second day of the search.
The house has been renovated significantly over the years and its current occupiers have no connection with the case whatsoever.
The canine, which was loaned to the force by the
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Work at the site today involved a mini digger, a concrete saw, a kango hammer and other equipment.
The machinery is being used in the small front driveway and in the 100ft rear back garden.
Gardai 'committed to uncovering the truth' of Annie McCarrick's murder and disappearance
The search - being carried out in a bid to get answers for Annie's heartbroken relatives to an end - will continue over the weekend.
It's understood that no file to the Director of Public Prosecutions is imminent on the arrested suspect, who will only be re-arrested if new information comes to light on his alleged involvement in Annie's disappearance in March 1993.
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'PERSON OF INTEREST'
The man was classified as a 'person of interest' in the early years of the probe.
Following the re-classification of the case two years ago, when it was upgraded to
Gardai spoke to the second man overseas before arresting the suspect this week.
The seizure of
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The upgrade of the case also saw new information come to light from the public regarding the house in Clondalkin, which is now being dug up.
'REMAINS A SUSPECT'
A source told
'There are seized items which are being looked at while other areas of investigation into him, his alibis and other matters are continuing.
'This is all off the back of fresh information gardai have got over recent years which was then coupled with reviewing what evidence had already been gathered. A vast amount of work has gone in.
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'The search of the house remains a very much live operation.'
The suspect is married, has children and runs a business. Sources say he has lived a 'comfortable' life over the years.
PROBE PLANS
The major operation is being led by an investigation team from the DMR South Central Division, Serious Crime Unit based at Irishtown Garda Station under the direction of a Senior Investigating Officer.
Their ongoing work will now involve speaking to others again who they believe may have not told crucial details when they previously interacted with gardai.
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Originally from the
Speaking today, Annie's family's US
'VERY OPTIMISTIC'
He said: 'I'm a very optimistic lawyer. I hope that one day it will have been solved and over the years I've gone to Ireland, I've got some friends there.
'I've made it my business to be interviewed by the garda, by the local press to try to keep the embers burning and I'm delighted to know that there's been an arrest, although there is no conviction at this point, there's only an arrest.
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'So let's see what the next developments will be.'
Gardai said that they will continue to keep the family of Annie fully updated in relation to the investigation and have been fully apprised of the developments.
They urged anyone with information to come forward, promising it will be treated with the 'strictest confidence.'
A spokesman said: 'The investigation team can be contacted at Irishtown Garda Station on 01 666 9600 or anyone who wishes to provide information confidentially should contact the Garda Confidential Line: 1800 666 111.'
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McCarrick's family lawyer remains 'optimistic' that the case will be solved
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Dublin Live
2 hours ago
- Dublin Live
Sniffer dog that found Tina Satchwell brought in to search for Annie McCarrick
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Gardai are using the same sniffer dog that found the remains of Tina Satchwell to search for those of missing Annie McCarrick, it has emerged. The dog, called Fern, has been lent to the Garda by the PSNI – and is specially trained to indicate the scent or presence of dead bodies. The dog was brought over the border on Friday morning to search a home in Clondalkin, south west Dublin as part of the hunt for Annie – while detectives continued to question a man on suspicion of the American student's murder. That suspect, who is a millionaire businessman, walked free from a Dublin Garda Station on Friday afternoon – after officers released him without charge. But sources say the man, who is in his 60s, is still the focus of the Garda murder investigation – and officers will continue to build a case against him. And PSNI cadaver dog Fern was on Friday playing a key role in that investigation – by using her special skills to examine the house in Clondalkin that was sealed off on Thursday morning, around the same time the suspect was arrested. Gardai stressed that the current residents of the house were not in any way connected with Ms McCarrick, 26, or the case of her disappearance. But Fern was brought in to examine if Annie, who was from New York but was living and working in south Dublin when she disappeared in March 1993, was secretly buried there. "Cadaver dogs are specially trained for just that," a source said. "Their task is to indicate the scent of death or the presence of human remains in a location. "The dog is looking for remains, or signs that remains were once there." The house was sealed for a second day on Friday and gardai said the search would continue for several days. As well as Fern, gardai from the Technical Bureau and officers from Irishtown station – where the probe into the murder of Annie is based - were also carrying out an invasive search of the property. The gardai were using specialist equipment as part of their search. But sources told the Mirror that gardai did not expect any major developments in the coming days. "It is a complex investigation and a slow burner," a source said. "This could go on for some time yet." The warning came as gardai confirmed that the businessman suspect had been released without charge – and that the investigation would continue. The force said in a statement: "Gardaí continue to investigate the disappearance and murder of Annie McCarrick in March 1993. "The male aged in his 60s who was arrested on the morning of 12th June, 2025 and detained under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 has been released without charge. "The searches in relation to this investigation remain ongoing and are being supported by a cadaver dog from an external agency. "Searches will continue over the weekend. Updates will be provided as appropriate. "Investigations ongoing." Fern is one of three cadaver dogs used by the PSNI that are occasionally lent to the Garda force as they don't have their own. The same dog found the remains of Tina Satchwell, 45, buried under the stairs of her home in Youghal, Co Cork in October 2023 – more than six years after she was last seen alive. Her husband Richard, 58, murdered her at the house in March 2017 – before burying her there. He was last month convicted of Tina's murder – and Fern played a key role in bringing him to justice. Satchwell is now serving a life sentence – and is likely to spend more than 20 years behind bars. That case was a long running missing person's case – like that of Annie McCarrick and gardai are now determined to also bring the New Yorker's killer to justice. Thursday's arrest was the first in the long running probe into her disappearance – and comes two years after the case was upgraded from a missing person's hunt to a full blown murder inquiry, Sources have also told us that the suspect, who is now in his 60s, had an infatuation with Ms McCarrick. He has been interviewed by gardai at least twice – but as a witness and who had an alibi. But gardai always viewed him as a person of interest in the case and he became a suspect when the probe was upgraded to murder in March 2023 – the 30th anniversary of her disappearance. The man knew Annie, had an obsession with her and had even stalked and assaulted her. As well as searching for Mrs Satchwell and Ms McCarrick, PSNI dog Fern was also used in the initial investigation into March's disappearance of Kerry farmer Michael Gaine, 56. That case was upgraded to murder in April and last month Mr Gaine's remains were found chopped up in a slurry tank at his farm near Kenmare. Mr Gaine's former tenant Michael Kelley, 53, was later arrested on suspicion of murder. Mr Kelley vehemently denies any involvement in Mr Gaine's murder and was released without charge by gardai. That investigation is ongoing. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Paul Murphy's phone still withheld after Egyptian detention, passport returned
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has had his passport returned by Egyptian authorities, but says they have not had his phone returned after he was detained at a protest march yesterday. Mr Murphy was among a group detained in Egypt as around 3,000 activists worldwide were due to begin marching across the Sinai Desert on Friday to the Rafah border, demanding the opening of the crossing, the delivery of aid, and an end to Israel's ongoing bombardment of Gaza. The Department of Foreign Affairs, which has urged against travelling in the region because it is 'particularly dangerous,' has offered consular assistance, with Irish diplomats in Egypt working on the case. Yesterday, Mr Murphy said he was detained in the Egyptian city of Ismailia, with soldiers having confiscated his passport. They attempted to move detained individuals onto a bus, which he believes was intended for deportation out of Egypt. Mr Murphy said the detainees refused to board the bus. In a later update on X, Mr Murphy said that Egyptian authorities still had his phone, and told him that detainees were being sent to the airport. However, Mr Murphy said the route they took was not the same road they had travelled from, with the bus heading towards Cairo. We were finally released late last night at airport. Police still have our phones. We are back in Cairo and meeting shortly to decide next steps. We're focused on Israel's genocide and starvation of Gaza. Thanks for your support. Free Palestine 🇵🇸 🇵🇸🇵🇸#GlobalMarchToGaza — Paul Murphy 🇵🇸 (@paulmurphy_TD) June 14, 2025 In his tweet, Mr Murphy said that 'violence got worse' after authorities seized his phone. He alleges that an American woman was 'badly kicked and beaten' and had her hijab torn off. The Dublin South-West TD later confirmed that he had been released late last night at the airport, while police still retained 'our phones.' "We are back in Cairo and meeting shortly to decide next steps," he wrote on X. "We're focused on Israel's genocide and starvation of Gaza. Thanks for your support. Free Palestine." On Saturday morning, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris said local embassy staff worked to secure the release of Irish citizens detained in Rafah and had secured the return of their passports. "I spoke directly to Deputy Murphy to confirm he and other Irish people have been released from detention, had their passports returned and were receiving consular assistance," Mr Harris said. "The wellbeing and safety of all Irish citizens abroad is always of concern to me and to my Department. I am aware some Irish citizens have not had their phones returned by the authorities and I have asked our embassy to pursue this.' People Before Profit–Solidarity Paul Murphy TD at Leinster House on the Plinth, with his bag backed ahead of his trip to Cairo where he planned to attend the 'March to Gaza'. Picture: SAM BOAL/Collins Photos Separately, the Tánaiste said he had held calls with Ireland's ambassadors to Israel, Iran, and Egypt over escalating Middle East tensions. He said: "I am pleased to say our Embassy staff are safe and well. 'This is a dangerous moment for the Middle East. I am deeply concerned about the continuing exchange of air attacks between Israel and Iran. "Our Embassies are in close contact with members of the Irish community to offer assistance. We are also working closely with our European counterparts in relation to the situation that is unfolding. 'My Department continues to advise against all travel to Iran and Israel for Irish citizens. 'Irish citizens in the region are advised to be vigilant and to follow the advice of local authorities, including any orders to shelter in place.'
Irish Times
10 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘We we're full of hope': Aunt of Annie McCarrick says family disappointed after murder suspect released
Annie McCarrick's mother Nancy is used to waiting. She has been waiting for 32 years to find out where her only daughter's remains may be buried. When she received a 3am phone call on Thursday from the Garda team investigating her daughter's murder, it brought a new level of emotional intensity to the family's wait for answers. A man who knew Annie McCarrick had been arrested on suspicion of her murder . Fortunately, Nancy McCarrick's younger sister, Maureen Covell, was staying with her when the gardaí called. She has supported Ms McCarrick since 1993. READ MORE Annie McCarrick was nine years younger than Ms Covell, who is now 67. Both women were like best friends and spent lots of time together. From early on Thursday morning until the suspect was released without charge on Friday afternoon, an extended Irish-American family living in the Long Island area of New York had their fingers crossed. After all, this was the first arrest in a case whose narrative has changed completely since a new team of Garda investigators were appointed. 'Naturally, we were full of hope,' said Ms Covell. 'At last, it seemed there would be answers. There have been so many attempts over the decades to solve this case but there had never been any conclusive or definitive answers.' It was a case of disappointment once again for the family on Friday, as the man was released without charge . A search and excavation at a house in Clondalkin, Dublin, which was linked to him, is ongoing. Speaking to The Irish Times from her home in Long Island, Ms Covell said: 'All of us are quite disappointed as we were hopeful that some results would come of this arrest and interrogation. It is important to say that we haven't given up all hope as it seems the gardaí are getting close. We cautiously look forward to hearing if there are any findings with regards to the excavation. 'We appreciate the continued efforts of the gardaí as they follow some very recent leads.' She added that the family continues to hope for 'closure and answers along with a possible conviction to this 32-year- old nightmare'. Ms Covell said the family had been left deeply frustrated by elements of the original Garda team's approach to the investigation. 'Unlike my dear sister, who has remained so graceful and stoic throughout this ordeal, I still find it very frustrating that all the faxes our family and friends sent to the gardaí after Annie's disappearance about significant issues in her personal life were ignored at the time,' she said.
