Gardaí start fresh search into murders of Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob

GARDAÍ investigating the disappearance and murders of Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob commenced a search operation today on open ground in Co Wicklow near the Wicklow/Kildare border.

The area of land will be searched and subject to excavation, technical and forensic examinations over the coming days.

In an amended statement issued this morning, An Garda Síochána clarified that there has been no arrest and this is a search operation only.

The search operation is being led by the Serious Crime Review Team and the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, supported by the Garda National Technical Bureau and local resources from Kildare Division as required.

Jo Jo Dullard, who was 21, disappeared on 9 November 1995, after travelling to Dublin to socialise. She missed her last bus home to Kilkenny and instead took a bus to Naas, from where she intended to hitchhike to her home in Callan, Co Kilkenny.

After taking two lifts, she reached Moone in Co Kildare, where she telephoned a friend at 11.37pm. During that call, Ms Dullard said a car had stopped for her and she was going to take the lift. This was the last known contact with her.

Her disappearance was classified as a murder investigation in November 2020, with gardaí satisfied that serious harm came to Ms Dullard on or about the night of 9 November 1995.

Deirdre Jacob was 18 when she disappeared on 28 July 28 1998. She was last seen at around 3pm crossing the road towards the entrance to her home at Roseberry, Newbridge, Co Kildare.

The student teacher had been home from St Mary’s University in Twickenham, London, for the summer. She had gone to Newbridge town that afternoon to get a bank draft to send to a friend in London for their college accommodation.

When last seen, she was wearing a navy v-neck t-shirt with white trim, navy or black straight jeans and blue Nike runners. She was carrying a distinctive black satchel-type bag with 'CAT' in large yellow letters printed on the front. The bag has never been found.

Her case was upgraded to a murder investigation in August 2018.

Both women’s disappearances occurred in Co Kildare, in Moone, where Jo Jo Dullard was last seen, located just a ten-minute drive from where Deirdre Jacob disappeared in Newbridge.

An Garda Síochána has been keeping the families of both women updated in relation to the investigations and they have been fully appraised of today’s developments.

Gardaí continue to keep an open mind into these investigations and will follow up any information brought to the investigation team.

An Garda Síochána appeals to anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant they might believe it to be, to contact any Garda station, or anyone who wishes to provide information confidentially should contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.

A UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) geographic zone remains in place over the search site.