The search for bodies of missing women Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob in a quarry on the Wicklow-Kildare border has entered its second day.
Ms Dullard has not been seen since November 1995, when the 21 year old disappeared while travelling home from Dublin to Kilkenny.
While Ms Jacob has not been seen since July 1998 when she was 18. The Kildare woman was on her university summer holidays when she decided to walk back to her family home from Newbridge but never made it.
The seach for Deirdre Jacob and Jo Jo Dullard. Picture by: Eamonn Farrell/© RollingNews.ie.Despite sustained investigations by An Garda Síochána over the years, their bodies have never been found and no one ever convicted of killing them.
Yesterday, Gardaí commenced a new search for the missing women, following a review of the their cases.
“The Gardaí are saying that as a result of information that was received in the previous investigation and that investigation was… checked again by the serious crime review team,” Irish Sun Crime Editor Stephen Breen explained on Newstalk Breakfast.
“They deemed that it was important that they were aware of the site on the Kildare-Wicklow border.
“Because of the information that they had, it wasn't searched previously and, as a result of that review by the cold case unit, it was important that it was looked at again.”
The seach for Deirdre Jacob and Jo Jo Dullard. Picture by: Eamonn Farrell/© RollingNews.ie.The location of the quarry is remote but Gardaí are focusing their efforts on one specific area.
If needs be, Gardaí involved in the search can call upon other State agencies for help.
“When I spoke to Deirdre Jacob's father, Michael, he indicated that it was a very positive development in terms of the ongoing investigation,” Mr Breen said.
“That the fact that they have information, they have looked at this information and now, as a result of the ongoing investigation into his daughter's case, that they have now decided to search this quarry.”
Mr Breen added that Gardaí still hope they can find out what happened to the two women, despite decades having passed since they were last seen.
“I mean, it is 30 years - but if there is evidence there, it will be analysed, it will be available," he said.
“We have obviously different technologies now that we didn't have back in the 1990s.
“So, there has to be optimism and I don't think they would have undertaken this search if there wasn't optimism that it could lead to some evidential value being established.”
Gardaí have asked that anyone with any information about Ms Dullard or Ms Jacobs, no matter how small or insignificant they think it is, to contact them.
Main image: Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob.
