Deirdre seemed to vanish into thin air on summer afternoon in Kildare

DEIRDRE Jacob had apparently disappeared into thin air, writes Cormac O’Keeffe.

The 18-year-old had walked home from Newbridge, Co Kildare to her family home about 1 mile away along a busy road.

She had been spotted by people who knew her that day, July 28, 1998. Others, who didn’t, came forward and gave descriptions matching her.

She had been seen at around 3pm on what was a bright and sunny summer day, near the gate to her home on Barrettstown Road, Roseberry.

There were no signs of any struggle, nor any sighting of her getting into a car or being snatched off the road and bundled into one.

Deirdre literally vanished in broad daylight and was not seen again.

Speaking at the 15th anniversary of her disappearance in 2013, Superintendent Joseph Prendergast said this couldn’t happen: “Somebody doesn’t disappear into thin air and it’s very hard to do something without somebody seeing you.

“Our hope is somebody has that piece of information that might just connect with other pieces of information we have.”

And this is what appears to have just happened, with a formal upgrading of what was a missing person investigation to a murder investigation.

Lead investigator Chief Superintendent Brian Sutton of Naas Garda Station said it was the result of a major review of the case, comprising local officers and the national Serious Crime Review Team, and fresh information that emerged after the 20th anniversary appeal last month.

Michael and Bernadette at Naas Garda Station during an appeal to the public marking the 20th anniversary of Deidre’s disappearance.

Gardaí have always believed somebody had information that could help unlock the mystery.

It was, in part, based on the experience of investigators that people, perhaps people in a relationship with the killer or related to them or a friend of theirs, have crucial information but out of love, loyalty or fear, will not disclose it.

However, sources said that time can change things, freeing people to eventually come forward.

Chief Supt Brian Sutton said that gardaí had “pulled apart” the investigation and “put it back together” resulting in new lines of inquiry which were added to by the new information from the appeal.

It is a huge development in an investigation that has mystified and preoccupied people, particularly in Co Kildare, for the last 20 years.

Deirdre was home for the summer holidays from England where she had just finished her first year at the St Mary’s teacher training college in Twickenham, London.

Her father Michael said she was “relaxing and taking it easy” at home and that on the day, at around 12.30pm, had walked into Newbridge, a walk of about 25 to 30 minutes.

Deirdre,18, with her father Michael, pictured in their garden just two months before she disappeared.

She had visited her grandmother and then went to the bank, got a draft to pay for a deposit on new accommodation in Twickenham.

CCTV footage captured her at AIB getting the draft and then in the post office sending it off.

She then walked home along, what her father said was, “a very busy road”.

After she disappeared, none of her clothing or belongings were ever recovered, neither her Nike runners or top nor her black canvas bag with CAT (the yellow Caterpillar logo) on it.

A Garda source said that for the Jacob family this was a very difficult time.

For the family in missing person cases, they believe the person might walk through the door. When it’s a murder case, that will never happen.