Renewed appeal issued on 26th anniversary of disappearance and murder of Deirdre Jacob

Deirdre who was only 18-years-old in 1998, was last seen on Tuesday, 28 July of that year near her home in Roseberry, Newbridge, County Kildare, at approximately 3pm.

“She was a young woman starting off her life, who had just completed one year at St Mary’s University in Twickenham, London,” gardai said in statement this evening.

“Deirdre would be 44-years-old this year. Deirdre enjoyed her life in London and was looking forward to returning to college that September.

On the day she went missing, Deirdre had walked into Newbridge town to get a bank draft to send to a college friend in London for their rent deposit.

Gardai outlined a timeline of the last moments Deirdre had been seen.

At 2.14pm Deirdre was observed on CTTV walking on Main Street Newbridge. Four minutes later, at approximately 2.18pm she is observed in the AIB bank getting a £100 bank draft and leaves a short time later.

At 2.26pm Deirdre is again observed again on CCTV queuing in the Post Office Newbridge where she seen at 2.32pm on CCTV speaking with a friend outside.

At 2.35pm the last sighting of Deirdre is recorded on on CCTV, walking outside the PTSB Bank on Main Street, Newbridge.

Deirdre was last seen shortly after 3pm near her family home outside Newbridge.

Deirdre was 5’3” in height with a slim build. She had grey/green eyes and dark, chin-length hair.

When she went missing on July 28, 1998, Deirdre was wearing a navy, V-neck t-shirt with a white trim on the collar and sleeves, navy or black straight jeans and blue Nike runners.

Deirdre was carrying a distinctive black satchel type bag with long shoulder straps and the word CAT in large yellow capital letters on the side. The black satchel bag has never been located.

“There has been a 26-year investigation into Deirdre’s disappearance during which significant enquiries have been carried out to establish her whereabouts and to investigate the circumstances in which she disappeared,” gardai added.

“On the 20th anniversary of her disappearance An Garda Síochána confirmed that the missing person investigation had been upgraded to a murder investigation.

An Garda Síochána has submitted an investigation file on the murder of Deirdre Jacob to the Director of Public Prosecutions. No prosecution has been directed to date.

The murder investigation continues to be conducted by gardaí from the Kildare Garda District, under a Senior Investigating Officer and with the available support of other resources from An Garda Síochána including the Serious Crime Review Team, as required.

An incident room remains in place at Kildare Garda Station and An Garda Síochána regularly update Deirdre’s parents, Michael and Bernadette and her family through a designated Family Liaison Officer.

In 2022 it was revealed that convicted rapist Larry Murphy would not face charges in relation to the 1998 kidnap and murder of the teenager.

A file on the case, with new evidence, was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in 2021.

However, after new evidence was reviewed it was determined that charges would not be brought against the ‘Beast of Baltinglass’ who is a suspect in the crime.

In 2018, her disappearance was upgraded to murder with gardai saying that they had received vital new “credible and corroborated” information that led to Larry Murphy becoming the chief suspect in the murder of the 18-year-old.

Two years later in February 2020, gardaí prepared all their evidence in the case and sent a file linking Murphy to the murder of Deirdre Jacob to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

In 2021 the DPP sent their file to a specialist barrister for a “second opinion” on the case.

However, gardai told the Sunday World in 2022: “As part of this investigation, a file was forward to the DPP and recently returned with a direction of ‘no prosecution’.”

Deirdre’s family and Garda investigation team urge any person or persons with information in relation to the murder of Deirdre Jacob to please come forward. An Garda Síochána are reminding the public that if you have information about Deirdre’s murder, not to assume that we already know it, or that is has limited value.

Anyone with information in relation to this investigation should contact the investigation team at Kildare Garda Station at 045 521222, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.