Gardaí focus on last known movements of Elaine O’Hara

Gardaí investigating the discovery of Elaine O’Hara’s body in the Dublin mountains last week have taken over 120 statements from the public as they try to establish the circumstances of her death .

Photographs of Ms O’Hara (37) and her car have been released as part of a fresh appeal for information and anyone who may have seen her in the Shanganagh area of Shankill between August 22nd and 24th, 2012, is being asked to contact investigating gardaí at the incident room in Blackrock.

Senior officers have not discounted the possibility Ms O’Hara may have been killed by somebody who has previously attacked, and possibly murdered, other women who are missing, presumed dead.

Issuing a fresh appeal to the public this morning, Supt Dave Taylor said information that may have seemed of no consequence at the time of Ms O’Hara’s disappearance might be required by gardaí.

He said gardaí have a reported sighting placing her close to the footbridge that crosses the railway at Shanganagh Park, Shankill, at about 6.15pm on August 22nd.

Supt Taylor said her car, a turquoise 2005 Fiat Punto, was found at Shanganagh Cemetery on Friday, August 24th."People might have seen, met or engaged with Elaine over this time," he said. "I would ask people to rethink - you might have some information. It might have been irrelevant at the time but it might be important now."

Supt Taylor said investigating gardaí have received “a tremendous response” from the public but added there may be “other important information that could assist us”.

He said: “We have taken in excess of 120 statements; we have seized in excess of 1,600 hours of CCTV and conducted numerous questionnaires.”

Supt Taylor said he wanted to assure the public all calls will be dealt with “in the strictest of confidence” and anyone with information should contact the incident room at Blackrock Garda station (666 5200) or the Garda Confidential Line (1800 666111).

Supt Taylor said a "fingertip" search was taking place today in the area where the skeletal remains were discovered at Killakee in the Dublin mountains. "It's an extensive search that's going on in order to hopefully retrieve further evidence that might assist the investigation," he told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.

Gardaí are also investigating internet activity by Ms O’Hara in the months before she went missing. Detectives believe Ms O’Hara, who was from Oakdene, Killiney, south Co Dublin, was using dating websites.

Detectives believe Ms O’Hara’s body was dumped, rather than buried, and that she was most likely dead within hours of last being seen alive.

Gardai said yesterday Ms O’Hara was a childcare assistant. She also worked part-time in a newsagents in Blackrock Shopping Centre and was a very popular employee. On the day she went missing, she had volunteered to work at the Tall Ships Festival in Dublin city centre.