‘We we're full of hope': Aunt of Annie McCarrick says family disappointed after murder suspect released
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.
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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.
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