Gardaí appeal for information on Deirdre Jacob’s disappearance and murder 28 years ago

Gardaí are making a fresh appeal for information about the disappearance and murder of Deirdre Jacob 28 years after she vanished.She was last seen near her home in Roseberry, Newbridge, Co Kildare, at about 3pm on Tuesday, July 28th, 1998. She was 18.On the day she went missing, the student had walked into Newbridge town to get a bank draft to send to a college friend in London for their rent deposit.At 2.14pm that day, she was recorded on CCTV walking on Main Street, Newbridge. About four minutes later, she was seen in the AIB bank getting a £100 bank draft and she left the bank a short time later.READ MOREAt 2.26pm, Jacob was again caught on CCTV, this time queuing in the post office in Newbridge. At 2.32pm, she is recorded on CCTV speaking with a friend outside the post office.Three minutes later, the last sighting of her on CCTV was recorded as she walked outside PTSB on Main Street.She was last seen shortly after 3pm near her family home outside Newbridge.Eight years ago gardaí upgraded the missing person investigation to a murder inquiry.The murder inquiry continues to be conducted by detectives attached to the Kildare Divisional Serious Crime Office under a senior investigating officer.Gardaí said “significant enquiries” had been carried out to establish her whereabouts and to investigate the circumstances in which she disappeared.This month gardaí concluded a search at a site in Co Wicklow for the remains of Jacob and Jo Jo Dullard, who was also abducted and murdered in the 1990s.The search began on June 15th in part of a disused quarry site at Castleruddery Upper near the Wicklow-Kildare border. Excavations were also carried out at another location in the same area this year.Gardaí said the results of these searches were not being released “for operational reasons”.Jacob was 5ft 3in, slim with grey-green eyes and dark, chin-length hair.On the day she went missing, she was wearing a navy V-neck T-shirt with a white trim on the collar and sleeves, navy or black straight jeans and blue Nike runners.A bag similar to the one Deirdre Jacob was carrying She was also carrying a distinctive black satchel-type bag with long shoulder straps and the word CAT in large yellow capital letters on the side. The black satchel bag has never been located.Jacob had just completed one year at St Mary’s University in Twickenham, southwest London, and was looking forward to returning in September.An incident room remains in place at Newbridge Garda station. Gardaí said they regularly updated her parents, Michael and Bernadette, and her family through a family liaison officer.Jacob’s family and the An Garda Síochána investigation team are urging anyone with information in relation her murder to come forward. Gardaí said members of the public with information should not assume the force already has it or that it is of limited value.Anyone with information should contact the investigation team at Newbridge Garda station at 045-440-180, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.