At a glance
- Annie McCarrick, from Long Island, New York, went missing in Ireland on 26 March 1993
- Now, 30 years later, Irish police have said her disappearance is being treated as murder
- Annie’s mother Nancy told Irish national broadcaster RTÉ that she hoped new information would come to light
- She said she wanted to bring her daughter home
- Published
The mother of an American woman who disappeared in Ireland 30 years ago has said she hopes a new murder inquiry will “bring up something new”.
Annie McCarrick, who was 26 at the time, had been living in Dublin when she went missing on 26 March 1993.
Despite searches at the time and in the years since, no trace of her has been found.
On Friday, gardaí (Irish police) confirmed her disappearance is now being treated as murder.
Speaking to Irish broadcaster RTÉ, Annie McCarrick’s mother Nancy said that she would “love to be able to find” her and bring her home to Long Island, New York.
She said she hopes the police will now review all the evidence and information received to date.
“That’s what they said they will do, which is just great, really it is,” she added.
“I think it’s the best we could hope for.”
Asked if the family was holding out any hope that her daughter could still be alive, Mrs McCarrick said she did not think that was “remotely possible”.
“I did for a very, very, very long time but not after 30 years,” she said.
She appealed to anyone with any information about the disappearance of her only child to speak to the police.
Mrs McCarrick said there was “nothing more important” anyone could do, even with the smallest bit of information.
“You never know how helpful it might be,” she added.
Asked how difficult the last 30 years had been for her family, Mrs McCarrick said “time helps a great deal, it really does”.
“You do the best you can and you just go along, you don’t have a choice.”
The last confirmed sighting of Ms McCarrick was captured on CCTV, shortly before 11:00 local time on the day she went missing, at a bank on Sandymount Road close to where she lived in Dublin.
There were also reported sightings in the Sandymount Green area; of her boarding the number 44 bus bound for Enniskerry in County Wicklow; and a number of further reported sightings in Enniskerry village and at Johnny Fox’s pub in the Dublin Mountains.
At a press conference on Friday morning, Det Supt Eddie Carroll said police are “satisfied that it is more likely now that Annie came to a foul demise”.
Ms McCarrick was an only child and her father John passed away in 2009.
She was described as 5ft 8in (1.72m) in height and 10 stone (63.5kg), with long brown hair.
Gardaí said she spoke with a soft Irish-American accent and when she disappeared it is believed she was in possession of a large brown leather bag.
Det Supt Carroll urged anyone with information to come forward.
“I appeal to any person who has information relative to Annie’s murder not to assume we know and/or that it has limited value.
“Let us make that decision.”
Source : BBC
