Fiona Pender case: Second search operation in Co Laois to continue overnight

Gardai have begun another search for murdered Fiona Pender in a forest area off Cut Road North of the village of Clonaslee,Co.Laois..Picture:  Padraig O'Reilly

Gardaí investigating the disappearance and murder of Fiona Pender in Co Offaly have begun a second search. 

The search is being carried out on open grounds in the Slieve Bloom mountains area in Co Laois and will continue overnight. It follows the conclusion of an earlier search near Tullamore on Tuesday. 

Ms Pender went missing on August 23, 1996, and was last seen at her apartment on Church Street, Tullamore, by her partner, John Thompson. She was 25 years old and seven months pregnant at the time she went missing.

Despite a series of extensive searches in the years since, more than 300 statements and the arrest — in April 1997 — of five people, no trace of remains have yet been found.

Ms Pender's mother, Josephine, who campaigned on her case, died in September 2017. Her husband, and Fiona’s father, Seán, died by suicide in 2000.

On Monday, gardaí said it had formally upgraded the missing person case to a murder investigation "based on the entirety of the information available to the investigation team".

Ms Pender went missing on August 23, 1996, and was last seen at her apartment on Church Street, Tullamore. Picture: PA Wire

Thereafter, fresh searches began on lands at Graigue in Killeigh, a short distance from Tullamore. Those searches concluded yesterday and gardaí said the results are not being released for operational reasons. 

In an update on Wednesday morning, gardaí said another search operation in the area of Slieve Bloom Mountains in Co Laois has begun. 

"This area of land will be searched and subject to excavation, technical and forensic examinations," a garda spokesperson said. 

"This search forms part of a sustained investigation carried out by gardaí in Laois/ Offaly Garda Division over the last 28 years to establish Fiona’s whereabouts and to investigate the circumstances in which Fiona disappeared," they added. 

Garda appeal

Investigating gardaí continue to appeal to any person with any information in relation to the disappearance of Fiona in the early morning of Friday August 23 1996, who has not spoken to gardaí, to please come forward and speak to our investigation team.

Gardaí continue to appeal to any person who may have previously come forward who felt they could not provide gardaí with all the information they had in relation to this matter, to contact the investigation team again.

An Garda Síochána appeals to anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant you might believe it to be, to contact Tullamore Garda Station on 057 932 7600, or any Garda Station. Anyone who wishes to provide information confidentially should contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.