Murder investigation on Deirdre Jacob needs more information says her father 'hoping that whoever has the information will come forward'

The father of Deirdre Jacob is renewing appeals for information just months after Gardaí launched a murder investigation and 20 years on since her disappearance, just a short walk from the gate of her home.

Michael Jacob,  the father of Deirdre Jacob, who was  last seen at the gateway of her home in Roseberry, Newbridge, on Tuesday, July 28, 1998, is calling for information.

He said: "We are appealing for whoever has information to come forward. Gardaí are following a number of lines of inquiry. We are hoping that whoever has the information will come forward."

A lot of information has been provided by the public since the murder investigation was launched but more is needed, says Mr Jacob.

He says that he hopes all the public campaigning for information on what happened his daughter, for the past 20 years,  will be successful. Although he says closure will never be received as his daughter is gone, there will be some comfort in the knowledge that justice has been served, if what happened to his daughter can be revealed.

He refuses to speculate on possible suspects.

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,  of slim build with 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.

In August at the launch of the murder investigation in Naas Garda Station, Chief Superintendent Brian Sutton said:"As a result of this review and new information that has been received, An Garda Síochána have re-classified the disappearance of Deirdre Jacob from a missing person investigation to a murder investigation."