Deirdre Jacob's father renews appeals for information urging people not to speculate and ‘avoid getting a sense that the investigation is almost complete.’
The father of Deirdre Jacob is renewing appeals, today, following Co Kildare Gardaí announcing this week, after 20 years missing, that they are certain she was murdered. Michael Jacob is this morning calling for the public to ‘avoid getting a sense that the investigation is almost complete.’
Deirdre Jacob(18), was last seen at the gateway to her home, at Roseberry, Newbridge, on July 28, 1998, at 3.30pm.
Earlier this week, after 20 years since Deirdre’s disappearance the investigation was reclassified to a murder investigation.
Deirdre’s father, Michael, is pleading with people to avoid ‘speculation’ focusing on one suspect overseas and is urging everyone to keep an open mind, adding that it is not helpful to focus on certain geographical areas at this stage.
He said: “I know that there is quite a lot of speculation out there. It will be a long process, a painstaking effort to help the whole investigation. More information is required. We need to steer clear of getting a sense that this is almost complete.”
He is hopeful that a body will be found and that himself and his family will know what happened to Deirdre.
Mr Jacob said: “Help is desperately needed. I am open-minded on this, we need more information to narrow down an approach. We would be grateful for any information and the Gardaí will handle this sensitively and confidentially.”
Regarding the case being re-classified as a murder investigation earlier this week, Mr Jacob said: “From our perspective, we are still in the same situation, whether it is a missing person case or a murder case, we still need information, if that information was brought and added to the files in the case, that information may well solve this case.”
He extended gratitude to the Gardaí who are ‘doing their best to solve this’, adding that people ‘need to keep a broad focus until we get more information.’
Mr Jacob said: “After 20 years of trying, we need someone to come forward, there is definitely someone out there with information.”
The murder investigation is being conducted by Gardai from the Kildare Garda District with the support of the Serious Crime Review Team.
Deirdre had just completed one year teacher training in St Mary's College, Strawberry Hill, London. On Tuesday 28 July 1998, she left her home at about noon and walked into Newbridge to visit her grandmother. At about 2.10pm she went to the AIB Bank in Newbridge and then to the Post Office and returned back to her grandmother before setting out on the walk back home.
It takes about 25 minutes to walk to her house from Newbridge. She was last seen at approximately 3.30pm at the gateway to her house, there have been no sightings of her since this.
She is described as being 5’2" in height, slim build, black/brown hair (short style), grey/green eyes and when last seen she was wearing a navy NIKE jumper with white collar, blue jeans and blue NIKE runners. She also had a very distinctive shoulder bag with the logo "CAT" on it.
The investigation team can be contacted at Kildare Garda Station, 045 521222 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111