Man (60s) arrested on suspicion of murder of Annie McCarrick ‘was known to her'
Sources said that the suspect has led 'a normal life' in the three decades since the young woman went missing on March 26, 1993.
The suspect was arrested at his home this morning and is currently being quizzed on suspicion of her murder.
A separate home in Clondalkin previously linked to the suspect, where his parents had lived, is also being examined.
Gardaí arrested a man in relation to the murder of Annie McCarrick, who went missing on March 26, 1993.
The man, aged in his 60s, is detained under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a garda station in Dublin.
A spokesperson said 'elements of that house and garden' would be searched and subject to both technical and forensic examinations. They stress that the current residents of this home are not connected in any way with Annie McCarrick or her disappearance.
Ms McCarrick disappeared without trace on March 26, 1993, with the last confirmed sighting of her in Sandymount in Dublin.
She was 26 years old at the time of her disappearance. She was an only child and originally from New York in the US.
Ms McCarrick 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, where she completed her studies at Stony Brook University.
She moved to Ireland to live permanently in January 1993 and settled into rental accommodation at St Cathryn's Court in Sandymount with two other tenants.
The young woman had spoken to both her flatmates before they left separately to travel home for the weekend.
Ms McCarrick invited friends to her apartment for dinner the following day – Saturday, March 27.
She was also making plans for her mother Nancy's visit to Ireland on March 30.
On the Sunday of that weekend, friends of Annie became concerned for her welfare. She was not at home on the Saturday when they called for dinner as invited. She had not turned up for work on the Saturday or on Sunday morning.
A friend called to her apartment on the evening of Sunday, March 28, and spoke to Annie's two flatmates. Groceries Annie had bought on the morning of Friday, March 26, in Quinnsworth on Sandymount Road had been left unpacked in shopping bags.
A receipt in the bags confirmed the date and time of purchase as 26/03/1993 at 11.02am. This is the last confirmed activity of Annie McCarrick.
Ms McCarrick was reported missing by a friend at Irishtown Garda Station on the evening of Sunday, March 28.
This missing person report was confirmed by her mother Nancy when she arrived in Dublin on Tuesday, March 30.
The search for Annie McCarrick has continued since.
Search
At the site of the search today on Monastery Walk in Clondalkin, gardaí placed metal hoardings around the front garden of a house and parked a mini digger in the front garden.
The current occupiers of the house, who are not in any way the subject of the investigation, have had to move from it while the search operation continues.
Members of the Garda Technical Bureau arrived at the scene at 10am and a number of detectives could be seen going in and out of the property.
It is understood the house has been heavily renovated and extended in recent years, and its current footprint extends beyond the footprint of the original house when it was built.
The estate in Clondalkin is a mature estate of detached and semi-detached houses, and Monastery Walk itself is a long cul-de-sac.
Investigation
This morning's arrest and search operation is being led by an investigation team from the DMR South Central Division, the 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 and the 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.
The search operation has the support of other State and external expertise if required.
An Garda Síochána said it would continue to keep the family of Annie McCarrick fully updated in relation to this investigation. They have been fully appraised of today's developments.
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.
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.
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Dublin Live
5 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. 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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 Times
12 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.
Irish Times
12 hours ago
- Irish Times
Search for remains of Annie McCarrick set to continue after main suspect released without charge
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