Gardaí investigating murder of missing Fiona Sinnott begin new search in Co Wexford
investigating the disappearance and murder of Fiona Sinnott in 1998 have commenced a search operation in
Co Wexford
.
Ms Sinnott, the mother of an infant daughter, lived at Ballyhitt, Broadway at the time of her disappearance and had been socialising in Butler's pub on February 8th with friends.
The 19-year-old left the pub at around midnight, which is the last confirmed sighting of her.
A motorist said the saw a man and a woman on the road near Kisha Cross, a short distance from the pub, at around midnight. There were also two males in their late teens or early 20s close by.
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None of these four people have ever come forward and gardaí said they are 'anxious to trace them or anyone who was in the vicinity who did not, or could not, come forward at the time'.
A
renewed appeal for witnesses
was made in February 2023, on the 25th anniversary of Ms Sinnott's disappearance.
Gardaí on Thursday said a search operation on open ground was set to begin at a location in Co Wexford. The area will be subject to excavation, technical and forensic examinations over the coming days. Road closures will be in place, and local diversions will be in operation, the force said.
Gardaí in Wexford and Wicklow have over the last 27 years worked to establish Ms Sinnott's whereabouts and investigate the circumstances in which she disappeared.
Extensive searches have been carried out and six people were arrested and questioned in connection with this investigation.
In 2005, gardaí arrested and detained a male on suspicion of the murder of Ms Sinnott. At the same time, three women and two men were arrested and detained in connection with the investigation into the disappearance of Ms Sinnott.
However, no person has been charged in connection with the investigation to date.
Gardaí said thousands of documents, reports and taken in excess of 500 statements of evidence have been collated throughout the course of the investigation.
Investigating gardaí continue to appeal to any person with any information in relation to the disappearance and murder of Fiona, who has not spoken to gardaí, to come forward.
Any person who may have previously come forward who felt they could not provide gardaí with all the information they had in relation to this matter is urged to contact the investigation team at Wexford Garda station on 053 9165200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.
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