Annie McCarrick: Millionaire businessman arrested in Dublin over 1993 murder
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Gardai were last night questioning a millionaire over the murder of missing Annie McCarrick – after they received new information in the case.
And, more than 32 years after the American student disappeared in Dublin, officers also began searching a house in the city. Sources have said that the arrested man, who is now a respectable businessman and owns several properties with combined values of more than €1 million, has long been a suspect in the case of Ms McCarrick, who disappeared from south Dublin in March 1993.
It's the first arrest in the long running probe into her disappearance – and comes two years after the case was upgraded from a missing person's case to a full blown murder inquiry. Sources have also told us that the man, who is now in his 60s, had an infatuation with Ms McCarrick. He has been interviewed by gardai at least twice.
But that was as a witness – and now he is being questioned as a murder suspect. Officers from Irishtown Garda Station in south central Dublin – where the Annie McCarrick investigation is based – early yesterday morning sealed off a house in Clondalkin in south west Dublin that they suspect may be connected to the American woman's murder.
(Image: Mick O'Neill)
Officers began using specialist search equipment at the house yesterday afternoon – but gardai were keen to stress that the current occupants of the property were not connected in any way with Ms McCarrick – or the investigation. 'The current residents of this home are not connected in any way with Annie McCarrick or her disappearance,' gardai said in a statement.
The suspect, who was known to Ms McCarrick, was arrested on suspicion of murder early on Thursday morning and he was being quizzed in a Dublin Garda Station last night. Officers can hold the man for 24 hours before he must either be charged or released.
But that does not include significant periods of rest that must be offered to the suspect – which means it is likely the detention time will run out on Friday afternoon, or even the evening. Sources last night told us that gardai took the decision to arrest the suspect after a thorough review of the case that has seen dozens of people interviewed by detectives.
They said investigators were not anticipating any immediate breakthrough in the case – but remained hopeful. 'This arrest is not a shot in the dark,' one source said last night. 'It came about after the investigation team received new information. After evaluating that information, the decision was taken to make the arrest and carry out the search.'
(Image: Garda Press Office)
We have also established that gardai have spent much of the last two years interviewing dozens of people who worked with Ms McCarrick – or knew her personally. They have been building a case against the suspect – and even went to France to interview a key associate.
Gardai announced the dramatic development in a statement early yesterday morning. The force said: 'Gardaí investigating the disappearance and murder of Annie McCarrick in March 1993 have this morning arrested a male on suspicion of her murder.
'The male aged in his 60' is detained under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Garda Station in Dublin. Investigating Gardaí are today commencing a search operation at a residence in Clondalkin, Dublin 22.
'Elements of that house and garden will be searched and subject of both technical and forensic examinations. The current residents of this home are not connected in any way with Annie McCarrick or her disappearance.'
The statement also said local gardai were being assisted by detectives from the Garda Cold Case Unit and National Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The force said: 'The arrest and search 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 and with the assistance of the Serious Crime Review Team, Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
'The search is being carried out by the DMR South Central divisional search team supported by the Garda National Technical Bureau. This search operation has the support of other state and external expertise if required. An Garda Síochána has and will continue to keep the family of Annie McCarrick fully updated in relation to this investigation. They have been fully appraised of today's developments.'
And officers also appealed for witnesses to come forward – even if they had been holding back information for decades. Gardai said: 'An Garda Síochána appeal to anyone with information, no matter how small or insignificant that they might believe it to be, to contact the investigation team.
'Gardaí also appeal to anyone that may have previously come forward but who felt that they could not provide Gardaí with all of the relevant information they had in relation to this matter, to please make contact with An Garda Síochána again. With the passage of time they may now be in a position to speak further with the investigation team.
'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: 1800 666 111.'
It's understood gardai were aware of the suspect shortly after Annie was last seen in a coffee shop in the Sandymount area of south Dublin on March 26, 1993. Sources say he was able to give an account of his whereabouts around the time Annie disappeared – but that account is now under the spotlight again.
The focus of the investigation had been in Enniskerry, in rural south County Dublin, after a sighting of Ms McCarrick there on the day she disappeared – as well as one of her at Johnnie Fox's pub in Glencullen, around 5kms away. But neither of those sightings was ever confirmed and gardai now doubt she was in that area.
She was, however, caught on CCTV in a bank in the Sandymount area of central Dublin on March 26 – and that is the last confirmed sighting of her. Sources say detectives now believe the answer to her disappearance and murder lies in and around an area in south central Dublin, including Sandymount.
Best selling author Marisa Mackle, who worked in a restaurant with Ms McCarrick and never believed that she had gone to Johnnie Fox's, last night said she felt vindicated by the arrest. She said: 'I do feel vindicated, but it is a hollow vindication. I never wanted to be proven right.
'It is a good day. But I really hope it ends in something rather than getting the family's hopes up.'
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