Search goes on, but brother says he believes missing man was murdered

A brother of a man who has been missing for more than 15 months said yesterday he believes his brother was murdered.

John Ryan was speaking yesterday as a Garda search team combed through an area of woodland between Tipperary town and Bansha as part of an ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Bobby Ryan, aged 52, from his home near Cashel.

No trace of the missing man was found during the day-long operation.

Mr Ryan, a father of two and grandfather of three, was last seen at 6.30am on Jun 3 of last year, and his brother said yesterday he believed from an early stage that Bobby was dead.

“I believe he’s dead,” John Ryan said yesterday. “All we want is closure at this stage. You’d be hoping every day when the phone rings it will bring some bit of news.”

He said he had no reason to believe Bobby harmed himself. “I spoke to him the Wednesday night before he disappeared. I believe someone killed him. That’s my own belief. I have my own theories on these things. Bobby was 52 but he was like a 15-year-old. He was full of the joys of spring.”

Bobby was well-known on the local music scene where he worked as a DJ, using the name Mr Moonlight, as well as working as a driver. His family, led by daughter Michelle and son Robert, have been involved in an ongoing campaign to find him.

Widescale searches have taken place for Bobby since he disappeared last year and posters seeking information on his whereabouts are still dotted around the area between Tipperary town and Bansha.

The area being searched yesterday by a team of up to 30 gardaí centred on woodland in the Cordangan area, about 4km from Tipperary town.

“There’s no new information, it’s just being done as part of the ongoing investigation,” said a senior garda involved in the probe.

“Areas around there have been searched before and it wouldn’t be unusual for further searches to be carried out.”

Bobby was last seen early on the morning of Jun 3, 2011, when he left his partner’s home on the Bansha Rd to return to his home at Boherlahan, near Cashel.

His silver Citroen van was found by his daughter Michelle at a nearby carpark in Kilshane Woods, Bansha, later that day while a man matching his description was seen walking in the Cordangan area that morning.

His disappearance has been investigated by gardaí in Tipperary town who are still co-ordinating the investigation and are seeking information on Mr Ryan.

Described as being 5ft 2in tall, of stocky build, bald. and with hazel eyes, he was wearing a navy polo-shirt when last seen, along with navy tracksuit bottoms, a navy jumper, and white runners.