Gardaí and the parents of Deirdre Jacob have renewed their appeal for information into her disappearance and murder, 25 years ago today.
Deirdre Jacob was 18 when she was last seen on 28 July, 1998 near her home at Roseberry, Newbridge, Co Kildare at approximately 3pm.
At a media conference today, timed to coincide with the last recording of her on CCTV in Newbridge town at 2.35pm that day, Superintendent Paul Burke said that he believed "a small bit of information could crack this case".
Superintendent Burke said that "there are person or persons who have information on the disappearance of Deirdre Jacob and her murder on or about the 28th July 1998 and who haven't yet spoken to gardaí or who may have already spoken to gardaí but were not in a position to tell everything that they know at that time".
Gardaí showed CCTV footage showing Deirdre's last movements in Newbridge town before she walked towards her family home at 2.35pm and was last sighted near the entrance to her house at 3pm.
"Do you recognise yourself in the queue in the Post Office or do you recognise any of the persons in the queue. I want to speak to every person that was in that queue.
"I want to speak with any person who has any information on the black satchel type bag with long shoulder straps and the word CAT in large yellow capital letters on the side which Deirdre was in possession of when she went missing," Superintendent Burke said.
Deirdre Jacob's case was upgraded to a murder investigation five years ago in 2018.
In 2020 an investigation file on her murder was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions but the DPP returned with a direction of "no prosecution" due to insufficient evidence in July 2022.
Deirdre's father Michael Jacob told this afternoon's media conference that his daughter's case was "like a jigsaw waiting for a couple of extra pieces to come and piece it all together".
"And then we can find out what happened to Deirdre, where she is and we will be able to bring her home."
Michael and Bernadette Jacob have made many appeals for information in their daughter's case over the years, and Mr Jacob said they would never give up or "slacken" their resolve.
"We are convinced that the information is out there, there is person or persons that has that information," Mr Jacob said.
At 18, Deirdre Jacob was studying to be a teacher in London and had returned home for the summer the year she disappeared.
She would be 43 years old this year.
Speaking to RTÉ News, Deirdre's mother Bernadette said it had been a "long 25 years."
"It doesn't seem to matter what we do, we can't find out what happened to Deirdre or where she is, so we have to try all the time to get more information, something that can solve the mystery," Mrs Jacob said.
Speaking about how the last recorded sighting of Deirdre was as she neared their gateway, her mother said "you would expect somebody might be safe at their own home".
Mrs Jacob said that the "alarm bells" rang for her straight away when she returned home from work and realised that Deirdre had not returned home that afternoon.
"Deirdre would always let us know if she was going anywhere... but she wasn't there and she hadn't been in contact," her mother said.
The timeline of Deirdre's disappearance
On 28 July 1998, Deirdre 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 Deirdre is observed on CTTV walking on Main Street Newbridge.
At approximately 2.18pm Deirdre is observed in the AIB bank getting a £100 bank draft and leaves the AIB Bank a short time later.
At 2.26pm Deirdre is observed again on CCTV queuing in the Post Office Newbridge.
At 2.32pm Deirdre is observed on CCTV speaking with a friend outside the Post Office on Main Street Newbridge.
At 2.35pm the last sighting of Deirdre, on CCTV, is recorded walking outside the PTSB Bank on Main Street Newbridge.
Deirdre was last seen shortly after 3pm near her family home outside Newbridge.
An open and active investigation into Ms Jacob's disappearance is continuing, carried out by a dedicated investigation team based at Kildare Garda Station.
She is described as 1.60m (5'3") tall, of slim build, with grey/green eyes, and dark chin-length hair.
When last seen she was wearing a navy v-neck t-shirt with white trim on collar and sleeves, navy or black straight jeans and blue Nike runners.
She was carrying a distinctive black satchel-type bag with long shoulder-straps with CAT in large yellow letters printed on the front of the bag.
This bag has never been found.
