Family caught in ‘living nightmare’ waiting for news

The family of Jill Meagher say they are caught in a “living nightmare” as they wait for news that she has been found.

Speaking from her hometown of Drogheda, her uncle Michael McKeon said that for her family in Australia and, indeed, her whole family, “the world has come to standstill”.

“You can’t really think about what is next,” he said. “It is too early to think of the worst. People still have hope.”

His brother Denis leaves for Perth today to join her parents, George and Edith.

George is at his home recovering from a stroke and it was to discuss his welfare that Ms Meagher phoned brother Michael, 27, when she rang him.

He is the last person in the family to speak to her.

Her uncle, who still lives in Drogheda, said Ms Meagher had been in Ireland when her father had a stroke this month.

She left ahead of schedule so she could go to Perth to see him and spend time with her family before heading to her Melbourne home.

Her brother Michael is staying with her husband Tom, as is Tom’s sister.

Mr McKeon yesterday said the family in Ireland do not have any concerns about the police probe.

“What we see on TV and the reports from the police would lead you to believe they are doing a good job out there,” said Mr McKeon.

“There is no evidence they are not doing their job or that every stone has not been turned. If she has been abducted, if somebody has her and you want to get her back alive, you have to do it cautiously.”

Ms Meagher, known to family as Jillian, spent time with Michael, wife Liz, and their daughters earlier this month. Mr McKeon said: “She was very happy, she was only home two or three weeks ago and there was no inclination she was unhappy or that she had any major problems.”

In a reference to footage of police searching the couple’s apartment, Mr McKeon said: “Forensics is done in everything. Forensics is done with [the] point to find Jillian. The main objective of the police at the moment is to find Jillian.”

“They categorically stated they don’t have any suspects and they categorically stated that Tom is not a suspect and we know that most police forces, when they say nothing, they say a lot. So they fact that they categorically state something means that they have the evidence.

“People say he did it but sure Jillian is missing so nobody did nothing ‘cos she is still missing and the idea is that she can still be found.”