Gardaí don’t expect to find remains in excavation
A garda team began a dig at a field in Killinick yesterday morning after a farmer reported that his land had been disturbed at the time of Ms Sinnott’s disappearance in February 1998.
The farmer had not reported it at the time of the 19-year-old’s disappearance and only came forward after a number of arrests were made in the Sinnott case last September.
Experts from the Garda Technical Bureau carried out tests using sophisticated equipment on a small piece of land, but did not find any remains.
A physical dig is being conducted to confirm the accuracy of the tests and rule out the avenue of investigation.
“We are satisfied that there is nothing there from the tests, but we won’t know for sure until the dig is finished,” said one garda source.
A geo-thermal imaging device and earth-density equipment were used before the excavation to determine what was underneath the ground and whether the earth had actually been disturbed.
“The geo-thermal imaging showed up nothing, so the dig is to eliminate the possibility,” said the garda.
The dig is being carried out on a small piece of land measuring around 30 square metres located in a 15-acre field in Ballycorboys, Killinick, south Wexford. The search is expected to finish today.
Gardaí said the dig will only remove the top layer of soil and will not delve deep into the earth.
Ms Sinnott, a mother-of-one, vanished without a trace on the night of February 8, 1998. Searches of a nearby lake and shrub land did not reveal any clues. She was one of six women who disappeared in suspicious circumstances from the Leinster area in the 1990s.
The investigation team has been in contact with the Sinnott family and explained to them the situation regarding the search.
“It’s waiting time for the family again,” said Caroline, eldest sister of Fiona Sinnott.
“We have been through all this in the past. Last September our hopes were built up of a breakthrough. Ever since then the investigation has been ongoing but all we want is for Fiona to be returned and buried with her daddy. We just want to know where she is. The Gardaí have told us not to build our hopes up, we can understand that.”
Speaking at the excavation site yesterday, Fiona Sinnott’s mother Mary
Sinnott said the pain of her daughter’s disappearance hadn’t “healed much” over the years.
“Hopefully this will be a success. I’m not hoping for a miracle, but I’m hoping it is a success.”
The investigation is being conducted by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation in conjunction with local gardaí.
The inquiry made a major breakthrough last September after a former girlfriend of a main suspect came forward with information.
This led to six arrests, including the main suspect as well as five relatives, who were questioned on suspicion of withholding information.
These were the first arrests in the mammoth investigation. All six were subsequently released without charge.
No files have yet been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to any of the cases.
Garda sources said they needed further evidence before they can recommend a prosecution to the DPP.
Officers hope other people with information will come forward following the move by the farmer.
Gardaí suspect that another person was directly involved in the disposal of Ms Sinnott’s body.
They believe this person provided a vehicle for the purpose as the main suspect did not have transport at the time.
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