Gardaí believe a vulnerable young woman, missing for more than a decade, was killed and have upgraded their investigation to a murder inquiry.
A search was being carried out at a property in Navan, Co Meath on Friday as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Elizabeth Clarke, who lived at addresses in Co Meath and north Co Dublin and was aged 24 when she was last seen.
Ms Clarke, a mother of two, was officially reported missing in January 2015, though there have been no confirmed sightings of her since 2013. Gardaí suspect she was murdered around that time.
The force has carried out an extensive investigation since Ms Clarke was reported missing, including land, canal and river searches in an attempt to find her remains. However, nothing of evidential value has been found.
Ireland name team to play Scotland: Live reaction as Peter O’Mahony is selected for ‘experience’
Man guilty of manslaughter over pub melee death of Dylan McCarthy
Support for Irish unification growing in Northern Ireland, poll finds
Trump imposes sanctions on International Criminal Court, accusing it of targeting US and Israel
It is believed that she was murdered and her body disposed of in an attempt to conceal the crime.
Garda headquarters on Friday confirmed the investigation had been upgraded to murder inquiry.
The decision was based on an assessment that the additional resources and powers, including to arrest suspects and carry out intrusive searches, could result in a breakthrough in the case.
Ms Clarke had previously lived in Portrane, Co Dublin, and Bettystown, Co Meath, as well as at another address in Co Meath.
“There have been no sightings of Elizabeth in over 10 years. As a result of these extensive inquiries, An Garda Síochána have reclassified the investigation from a missing person investigation to a murder investigation,” An Garda Síochána said in a statement.
The search operation in Navan on Friday was being led by gardaí from the Meath serious crime hub, based at Navan Garda station. It was being supported by the Meath divisional search team and Garda National Technical Bureau.
A forensic archaeologist has been made available to the search team if required, underlining the Garda’s strong suspicions that Ms Clarke was murdered and her remains concealed.
The Garda said it continues “to keep the family of Elizabeth Clarke fully updated in relation to this investigation and they have been fully appraised of all of today’s developments”.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Navan Garda station on (046) 9036100.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
