Gardaí reopen six missing women cases as arrests made in Sinnott investigation

GARDAÍ have reopened their investigations into the ‘cold cases’ of six women who disappeared without trace in the 1990s.

This follows a breakthrough in their investigation into the suspicious disappearance of Wexford 19-year-old Fiona Sinnott.

The arrest of five people in relation to her disappearance yesterday marked the first breakthrough in both that investigation and all six missing women cases. The other five cases involved Annie McCarrick, Jo Jo Dullard, Fiona Pender, Ciara Breen and Deirdre Jacob.

In addition to these six cases, experienced detectives attached to the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) are also examining other high-profile unsolved cases. They are understood to be making significant progress in a number of them.

The arrests in Wexford follow a decision by garda authorities to look at Ms Sinnott’s case again.

“Some intensive work was done on this one over the last few months and those arrests arise out of it,” said a garda source.

Gardaí said there had been “new developments” in the case, but declined to say what they were.

The other five missing cases are being “actively looked at” at the moment and gardaí hope to make progress.

The NBCI is to use a new sophisticated computer system to help in their efforts.

The ViCLAS (Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System), was created by Canadian police and was set up here last May.

The system can analyse masses of information about a crime, and separate crimes, and check for patterns and linkages. It is not known if it has been used in the Sinnott investigation.

The NBCI took over the missing women cases after a specific unit, called Operation Trace, was wound down.

Despite extensive enquiries, Operation Trace saw no significant progress.

Gardaí yesterday stressed that the new operation was a long-term initiative, was not likely to lead to any immediate breakthrough and should not raise the hopes of victims’ families unduly.

Ms Sinnott, from Broadway, south Wexford, vanished on February 8, 1998, and has never been seen since. The mother-of-one was last seen by her former partner, and father of her child, Sean Carroll. Extensive searches and interviews failed to reveal any clues.

Gardaí arrested a man and a woman on Wednesday and questioned them about the case. The pair, both in the 30s and from Wexford, were detained under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.

This allows gardaí to detain people on suspicion of withholding information in relation to a serious crime for up to three days.

Both have since been released without charge.

A further three persons were arrested yesterday morning and detained under the same section.

The three - two females in their 30s and 50s and a man in his 30s - are also from the Wexford area.

Gardaí hope to gather crucial information during questioning to aid further investigations.

Gardaí have asked anyone with information related to Ms Sinnott’s disappearance to contact New Ross Garda Station on 051-426581.