New Annie McCarrick body find hopes with cadaver dog helping murder probe dig & suspect known to her quizzed over alibis
A DIG for the body of US woman Annie McCarrick is due to begin today — 32 years after she vanished, The Irish Sun can reveal.
Advertisement
5
Annie McCarrick went missing on March 26, 1993
Credit: An Garda Siochana/PA Wire
5
A man in his 60s has been arrested as part of the investigation into his murder
5
Gardai have searched a house in Clondalkin in connection the probe but stressed the current occupants are not involved
Credit: Padraig O'Reilly
We have learned that the suspect — who was known to Annie — is being quizzed over more than five separate alibis which the
It is understood the suspect denies any involvement in
While he was being brought into custody yesterday, a digger, a skip, and power tools along with dozens of cops arrived at a home in Clondalkin in southwest
The property has undergone extensive renovations over the years.
Advertisement
Read more on Annie McCarrick
However, gardai stressed its current occupiers 'are not connected in any way' to the case.
Officers are probing if Annie visited the house.
The search there is expected to last a number of days involving both technical and forensic examinations.
Senior sources say a cadaver dog, understood to be the
Advertisement
Most read in The Irish Sun
American Annie was
Despite
Gardai 'committed to uncovering the truth' of Annie McCarrick's murder and disappearance
After the case was upgraded to
Both have assisted with inquiries over the years, with one of them interviewed abroad in recent times.
Advertisement
The second man was the suspect lifted between 7am and 8am yesterday morning when detectives from Irishtown Garda Station landed at his home, which is outside Dublin.
Gardai conducted what sources say was a 'cursory search' of the property, but it was not invasive.
'DISCREPANCIES IN ACCOUNTS'
The suspect, aged in his early 60s, is a married man.
A source told The Irish Sun: 'Gardai are focusing on inconsistencies and discrepancies in the accounts previously given to them by this man."
Advertisement
The source revealed they are probing whether false alibis may have been created at the time.
They added: 'There is fresh information in terms of what they are focusing on regarding what cropped up during the reviews of the case and developments with speaking to others too.
"This man would have been known to Annie at the time of
POTENTIAL ASSAULT PROBE
The man can be questioned for 24 hours, excluding breaks for up to eight hours sleep, and will have to be released or charged today.
Advertisement
Gardai are also probing allegations the suspect
The major arrest and search op 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.
It also has the assistance of the Serious Crime Review Team, aka the Cold Case unit, along with the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
RESTRICTED AIRSPACE
A temporary restricted airspace has been put in place by the Irish Aviation Authority over the search, banning drones from flying overhead.
Advertisement
Born on March 21, 1967, Annie was 26 years old at the time of her disappearance.
Originally from
'There is fresh information in terms of what they are focusing on regarding what cropped up during the reviews of the case and developments with speaking to others too."
An Irish Sun source
As a teenager, Annie visited Ireland on a school trip and fell in love with the country and way of life.
When she returned back to the US, she told her parents of her intention to return here to live.
Advertisement
She did and in the 1980s, she completed her third level studies at St Patrick's College, Drumcondra and at St Patrick's College, Maynooth before returning to New York in 1991.
There she hit the books once more at Stoney Brook University, New York.
DAY OF HER DISAPPERANCE
She moved back to Dublin permanently on January 4, 1993, and settled into rental accommodation at St Catherine's Court, Sandymount, Dublin 4.
On Friday, March 26 of that year, almost four months later, Annie spoke to her two other flatmates before they both headed off home for the weekend.
Advertisement
She made arrangements with other friends inviting them to her apartment for dinner the following day.
But when they turned up that evening, she was not there.
REPORT MADE
On Sunday, March 28, her friends began to worry as they discovered she had not turned up to work all weekend.
That evening, her pals discovered her groceries — that had been purchased by Annie on the Friday morning in Quinnsworth on Sandymount Road — had been left unpacked in shopping bags in her home.
Advertisement
A receipt confirmed the date and time of purchase as 26/03/1993 at 11.02am, and this is the last confirmed activity of Annie.
She was reported missing by a friend at Irishtown Garda Station on the evening of Sunday, March 28, 1993.
'SHE WAS VERY RELIABLE'
Tragically, Annie's mother Nancy had been due to meet up with her doting daughter on March 30 that year, just four days after the disappearance.
Nancy travelled over but her intended holiday turned into a nightmare.
Advertisement
Speaking in 2023, Nancy, who is in her 80s now, said: 'She was funny. Yes, she was very reliable.
"She was conscientious. She wasn't fearful. She couldn't find fault with Ireland.
'It makes a huge difference to hear her case has been upgraded to a murder investigation.
'A GRAVE TO VISIT'
You never know, it might prompt someone to come forward after all these years.
Advertisement
'As for justice or retribution, I have no interest in it at all.
"My fondest wish would just be to find out what happened to her. To be able to have a grave to visit.'
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.
INFORMATION APPEAL
A spokesman said: 'An Garda Siochana appeals to anyone with information, no matter how small or insignificant that they might believe it to be, to contact the investigation team.
Advertisement
'Any information will be welcomed by the investigation team, and will be treated in the strictest confidence.
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 on 1800 666 111.'
5
After searches at the property in Clondalkin dogs are set to be brought in on fresh searches
Credit: Garrett White - Commissioned by The Sun Dublin
5
Annie's family are being kept updated on the probe progress
Credit: Garrett White - Commissioned by The Sun Dublin
Advertisement
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
How a dog called Fern solved the mystery of where Cork woman Tina Satchwell had been hidden
When Fern made a positive detection for the presence of human remains in the home of Richard and Tina Satchwell, the dog helped unravel the mystery of where the missing woman had been hidden for more than six years. After Richard Satchwell was sentenced to life in prison for the 2017 murder of his wife, the role of Fern in the case and the absence of a cadaver dog in An Garda Síochána's dog unit has raised hackles, led to soundbites and sparked debate on why the Irish force had to rely on the PSNI's only cadaver dog. Use of Fern in October 2023 for the search of Ms Satchwell's Youghal home was not the only time the services of a cadaver dog were requested by gardaí during the probe into her disappearance. The first time was in 2018, when Ronnie, a dog from Britain, was brought to Castlemartyr for a woodland search after information led gardaí to concentrate on the area. Mick Swindells has worked on a number of other high-profile cases in Ireland, including a search of the Slieve Bloom mountains for Fiona Pender in 2014. Ronnie's handler, Mick Swindells, a former British police officer, recalls staying in Garryvoe during the 2018 search, and says the approach came from gardaí because of his work with the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains, set up to find the bodies of people murdered and secretly buried by republicans during the Troubles. He has worked on a number of other high-profile cases in Ireland, including a search of the Slieve Bloom mountains for Fiona Pender in 2014. She has been missing since 1996 and her case was recently upgraded to a murder investigation. He became involved in human remains detection in 1992 when working with the dogs section in Lancashire police. He has handled five cadaver dogs in his career, but also trained dogs in Britain as well as in the Malaysian and Spanish fire services, and Spanish police. He pointed out training dogs to find human remains in water is different to training them to find buried remains 'because they can smell scent coming through the water'. For land searches, probes are used to prod the ground to release any odours which could indicate if human remains are buried in the area. He stressed, however, that the manner of a person's death can have an impact on the scent, explaining: 'Somebody who has been poisoned will decompose differently to somebody who has shot or stabbed, if there is trauma. "Indeed, the size of a person and the type of soil they have been put in also changes decomposition — also, if there were clothes, or they were wrapped in a shower curtain or carpet or that kind of thing.' He said in most cases, people do not have time to bury remains very deep — although he acknowledged cases like the Tina Satchwell case were different. During the recent trial, the jury heard her body had been buried unusually deep for a 'clandestine burial', with 84cm depth to the bottom of the burial site. 'He [Satchwell] was in his own house so he controlled the environment, whereas when you are burying bodies in woods … even the IRA didn't bury bodies deep and they had control of the areas. In his own house, he could take his time, he wasn't going to be disturbed,' Mr Swindells said. In his work, cadaver dogs are trained on pigs. He explains why: 'If you train a dog to find Semtex and you hide a block of Semtex, it won't change. But, obviously, a dead body evolves and is always changing. So we have to try to train the dog to find a body from, for example, one day after death to 25 years after death when it is just pure skeletal. So you have to train the dog on every aspect of the decomposition and the only way you can do that is by using pigs. It is similar decomposition.' A pig dressed in a coat and placed in a grave. Mick Swindells says the coat has been put on the pig to simulate a real concealment, for the purpose of training a cadaver dog. He says pigs used for the purpose of training dogs to find human remains are buried in the ground for many years. 'We had a site in the UK where we buried pigs in 1992 and every so often we went back there with dogs if we are looking at a really old case to refresh them. Pigs are the closest thing to human because they are omnivores — pigs eat meat and vegetables the same as we do. They have the same skin type — the same number of layers of skin as we do, the same digestive system as we do.' He says the normal police course for training dogs to find human remains is eight weeks: 'The basic course is eight weeks but the dog is always learning after that.' The Search and Rescue Dog Association Ireland (North) currently has four specially trained cadaver dogs in Northern Ireland. The association's Clair O'Connor says: 'We would use archaeological bone or human blood in training. We get blood from donors.' The association, which was founded in 1978 by Cork-born Dr Neil Powell, began working in the area of human remains detection in the 1990s, after being tasked to a search for two cousins who drowned in a lake. Wexford-based Rachell Morris owns K9 Detect and Find Ireland. She and Clair O'Connor both say they have had requests to aid An Garda Síochána over the years with searches. 13/06/'25 Gardaí bring a cadaver dog into a house on Monastery Walk, Clondalkin, where they are continuing their search in the investigation into the death of American woman, Annie McCarrick, who disappeared in 1993. Picture: Colin Keegan/ Collins However, on Monday, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said there were no plans at the moment to acquire a cadaver dog for the force . He described such a dog as a very specialised resource which is not out every day working, as is the case for drugs, firearms or money dogs. He also said a cadaver dog has only been used by the force three times in the seven years he has been commissioner. It emerged at Tuesday afternoon's meeting of the Oireachtas justice committee that a cadaver dog was used in the search for Kerry farmer Mike Gaine in the early weeks of his disappearance. Mick Swindells believes the addition of a cadaver dog to An Garda Síochána's existing dog unit would not be a big cost. 'If you train them to forensics and blood and semen also, you are not restricting it to murders because you have got assault cases, rape cases, that they can be used for as well.' He rejected minister for justice Jim O'Callaghan's assertion that the working life of a cadaver dog was just three years. He said police dogs operate until they are no longer fit enough to work, with many having a work life of up to seven years, typically retiring at about nine years old. This was echoed by Clair O'Connor, who said: 'All of our search dogs would work until they are aged eight to 10 years old.' A Garda spokeswoman confirmed the force has never had its own cadaver dog. She said there were 28 dogs attached to the Garda Dog Unit, inclusive of the Southern and North Western Dog Units. There are currently four dogs in training. The statement said: 'The Garda Dog Unit has dogs trained in three distinct disciplines, namely general purpose, drugs/cash/firearms detection, and explosive detection. Dogs are trained in one discipline.' In relation to cadaver dogs, the statement said: 'The operational demand for victim recovery dogs is currently sufficiently provided for through third-party contractors or through mutual assistance with the Police Service of Northern Ireland with whom An Garda Síochána has excellent working relations.' Read More Review of Tina Satchwell case to include if cadaver dog should have been used in 2017 search — Harris
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘You will forever be remembered' – Tributes paid to cyclist, 19, killed in crash as family confirm funeral details
TRIBUTES are being paid to a teenager who was killed in a cycling accident close to his home. Tragic Ciaran Cahill, 19, lost his life when he was hit by a van in Lucan, Ciaran received treatment at the scene before being transported by ambulance to Tallaght Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased. He is survived by his parents Fred and Noeleen, brother Derek and girlfriend Aoife. He will repose at home on Monday evening between 5pm and 7pm. READ MORE IN NEWS The house will remain private for family and close friends at all other times. His removal will take place on Tuesday afternoon to Newlands Cross Crematorium for a service to celebrate Ciarán's life at 2:20 pm. Leading the tributes last night Mary Flannery, Chairperson of Lucan Sarsfields She said: ''On behalf of Lucan Sarsfields GAA Club I would like to extend our deepest condolences to Ciarán's parents Fred and Noeleen, his brother Derek, girlfriend Aoife and the extended Cahill family on the tragic passing of Ciarán. Most read in Irish News 'There are no words we can say to ease your heartbreak but you will be in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis''. A former classmate at Lucan Community School said: 'Thinking of your family and your Aoife. Gardai and RSA measures aimed at driving crash deaths on Irish roads "You will forever be remembered Ciarán. Suaimhneas síoraí a anam álainn''. A family friend wrote ''Sending my deepest condolences to Derek and all the family at this heartbreaking time. "In the few times I've spoke with him, he always came across as a very bright, kind- hearted and funny young man with so much going for him. "Taken far too soon. May he rest in peace''. GARDA APPEAL A garda spokesperson said: 'Road users who may have relevant camera footage (including dash-cam) and were traveling in the area at the time are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardai "Anyone with information is asked to contact Lucan Garda Station at (01) 666 7300, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda station''. The total amount of road fatalities to date in Ireland this years sits at 74. This figure is just four less than last year. 1 He will be laid to rest next week Credit: Collect
The Journal
3 hours ago
- The Journal
Staff at Dublin prison seize contraband after deliveries intercepted
VASTS AMOUNTS OF contraband has been seized in one Irish prison as part of a wider crackdown on the smuggling of drugs, mobile phones and weapons into facilities nationwide. Gardaí are currently cooperating with the Irish Prison Service in a new operation which seeks to dismantle the delivery of illegal substances and other contraband into prisons, which officers say is becoming a daily challenge. Staff at Wheatfield Prison in Dublin this week witnessed an individual throw a number of packages over the walls of the facility, sparking a response from the Operational Support Group – a special response unit within the prison service. Tablets and cannabis resin seized by prison officers in Wheatfield, Dublin last week. Irish Prison Service Irish Prison Service Cannabis resin, tablets and mobile phone devices, along with charges and sim cards, were recovered inside packages at the prison on 7 June. In a separate incident, tablets, cannabis herb and miniature 'fob' phones were also recovered. Advertisement The secondary package had fallen short of its intended target, leading to staff at the facility to secure it. In total, €37,000 worth of contraband was seized in the deliveries, the prison service claims. A memorandum of understanding between Irish prison management and garda headquarters, recently signed between the two agencies, has increased cooperation in order to clamp down on increased deliveries. Phones, chargers and drugs seized by officers last week. Irish Prison Service Irish Prison Service A spokesperson said it is a priority of the prison service to prevent the delivery of contraband into its facilities. It added that it will invest in new technologies to support this effort. New technology has been seen at Mountjoy Prison, where a metal, mesh netting has been installed. It is understood that there are plans to improve and expand this tactic across most high-security prison campuses in Ireland. The Journal has previously reported that large numbers of drug deliveries are a 'significant issue' in Irish prisons . In May, the Irish Prison Officers Association claimed up to €5m worth of contraband has been smuggled into facilities so far this year. At its annual congress, it said the use of technology such as drones has made deliveries reach an 'unprecedented level' . Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
