Gardaí putting 'significant amount' of evidence to suspect in Annie McCarrick case

A New Yorker living in Ireland, Annie McCarrick went missing in March, 1993. The missing persons case was upgraded to a murder investigation in March 2023. File picture: Garda Press Office

Gardaí are putting a “significant amount” of information and evidence to a man arrested in connection with the murder of American woman Annie McCarrick more than 30 years ago.

Officers are also waiting to see if a search of a house where the man once stayed turns up anything of value that they need to question him about.

Sources are urging people not to raise expectations of a significant breakthrough in the investigation and to let developments take their course.

The suspect is the first man arrested in relation to the disappearance of Ms McCarrick on March 26, 1993, and her subsequent murder. She was last seen in Sandymount, in south-east Dublin city, by her flatmates and was reported missing two days later.

A suspect, aged in his 60s, was arrested by gardaí on Thursday morning while, simultaneously, a house in Clondalkin, west Dublin, was cordoned off for a detailed search.

Gardai at a house on Monastery Walk, Clondalkin, on Thursday afternoon, where they are conducting a search in relation to the death of missing American woman, Annie McCarrick, who disappeared in 1993. The current owners of the property are under no suspicion of any wrongdoing. Picture: Colin Keegan/Collins

The suspect is thought to have stayed at the house at some stage in the past.

It is understood the search was conducted on the basis of “new information” received by gardaí.

Sources urged people not to “raise expectations” that the search would unearth evidence.

Gardaí stressed the current occupants of the home have no connection with the case.

Detectives will examine statements made by the suspect. It is understood the investigators have a “significant amount” of material and evidence to put to the man.

His detention period is for a maximum of 24 hours, excluding sleep breaks, by which stage he has to be either charged or released from custody.

Investigation upgraded to murder probe

What was a missing person’s investigation for more than 30 years was upgraded to a murder investigation two years ago.

Gardaí identified two men of interest since then and have been conducting extensive inquiries, including interviewing both of them.

One of the men is thought to be living abroad and believed to be unwell. It is understood he did not provide anything of value to investigators. The other man was arrested on Thursday.

A statement from Garda HQ confirmed that a man in his 60s had been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Ms McCarrick and held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

In relation to the search in Clondalkin, it said: “Elements of that house and garden will be searched and subject of both technical and forensic examinations.”

It said the arrest and search operation was led by an investigation team from the DMR South Central Division, Serious Crime Unit, based at Irishtown Garda Station, assisted by the Serious Crime Review Team at the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

The search was out by the DMR South Central divisional search team supported by the Garda National Technical Bureau.