Everything we know about the disappearance of Tina Satchwell
Tina Satchwell's family described her as a bubbly personality who loved her family and her dogs — but she disappeared without a trace some time on or after March 20, 2017.
Cork woman Tina Satchwell was last seen in her home in Youghal, Co Cork on March 20, 2017.
Gardaí have followed more than 400 lines of inquiry over the last six and a half years and took witness statements from over 170 people.
A premises in Youghal has been sealed off since Tuesday, with gardaí carrying out a search of the home.
The search was focused inside the property and areas immediately around the house.
Tina was from St Bernard's Place in Fermoy. She lived with her husband of 25 years, Richard Satchwell, and with their two dogs on Grattan St in Youghal.
Her family has described her as much-loved, vibrant and bubbly woman who loved her family, her dogs, and car boot sales.
Tina was 45 years old when she disappeared. There has been no sighting of her since.
Tina was seen for the last time in public at a car boot sale with her husband in Carrigtwohill on March 19, 2017.
Richard said he brought her breakfast on March 20 and left to go shopping at a local supermarket in Youghal.
He said that was the last time he saw her, at around 10am that day.
Richard returned from the shop two hours later, but he said Tina was nowhere to be seen.
Richard filed a report on his wife's disappearance four days later, on March 24, 2017.
He claimed that two suitcases and €26,000 of their savings — from the sale of a house — had also gone missing from the property.
Major investigations were carried out by gardaí following the missing person's report.
Three months following Richard's report, the house of the couple was searched by gardaí. Search dives off the quays in Youghal were carried out by the Garda Water Unit and naval divers searched the harbour.
Garda search teams were joined by army personnel from Collins Barracks to search scrubland in Youghal. Interpol was also contacted to help with the search abroad.
A month later in July, Richard alerted gardaí to two suitcases found in a car park close to the couple's home. This was ruled by gardaí to not have any connection with Tina.
Gardaí said Tina did not pass through any Irish or UK port and airport. They believe she did not leave the country.
Tina possessed no passport and had not taken any identification with her.
Her phone had not been used, and her bank account had not been touched since the day of her disappearance in March 2017.
In March 2018, 60 gardaí led a targeted search for Tina in Mitchell's Wood outside Castlemartyr in East Cork.
The search is sparked by a tip given to gardaí.
Cadaver dogs, army engineers, and 60 trained garda searched the woods.
However, the search ended empty-handed after nearly two weeks.
In 2021, gardaí discovered a skeleton at Roxborough near Midleton on January 5.
There was initial speculation that the skeleton could have been Tina's, but tests on the remains proved it was a female who was 70 years or older at the time of her death.
Over the past six and a half years, a number of repeated appeals for information in search of Tina have been issued.
Richard gave a number of media interviews in the years after his wife went missing, saying he believed she was still alive. He has always insisted he had no role in her disappearance.
In October 2020, Tina's family says her disappearance "is killing" them and appealed for help to find the missing woman ahead of her birthday.
“We’re so worried. It’s been three and a half years since she went missing,” Tina’s sister, Teresa Dingivan says.
“It’s killing us. Someone out there must know something.”
Teresa Dingivan, sister of Tina Satchwell, is now living in Derby in England
"Someone out there knows something. Someone knows what happened to Tina, someone had a hand in her disappearance,” Ms Dingivan says.
Tina would have turned 50 last year.
On Tuesday, October 10, 2023, a man in his 50s is arrested by gardaí in relation to the disappearance of Tina.
The investigation is upgraded to a murder investigation, and gardaí begin using digging equipment to search a home in Youghal. The man is later released without charge.
Garda technical experts cordon off a house as crime examiners with chainsaws, jackhammers, shovels, pickaxes, and other digging tools enter the property to begin the search.
Sniffer dogs are also brought in.
On Thursday, October 12, gardaí called Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster to a home in Youghal. Human remains were found at the house. A man is arrested in relation to the investigation on October 12.
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