Decades-Long Investigation into Josephine Dullard’s Disappearance

The disappearance of Josephine “Jo Jo” Dullard, who was 21 years old when she vanished from Moone in County Kildare in 1995, continues to be an unresolved mystery, nearly three decades later. Her case, which remains unsolved after just over 29 years, was reclassified from a missing person investigation to a murder inquiry in 2020. This Monday, authorities apprehended an individual on suspicion of Ms Dullard’s murder; however, that person has since been released without any charges. Concurrently, Gardaí, Ireland’s national police force, have been conducting search operations near the boundary of County Wicklow and County Kildare. On November 9, 1995, Ms Dullard journeyed to Dublin and spent the evening at Bruxelles Bar, located on Harry Street, adjacent to Grafton Street. Later that night, she missed her final bus service back to Kilkenny. At 22:00 local time, she took a bus to Naas in County Kildare, with the intention of hitchhiking the rest of the way to Callan, her home. From Naas, Ms Dullard obtained a ride to the M9 motorway slip road near Kilcullen. Approximately at 23:15, she secured a subsequent ride to the village of Moone, which is situated about an hour’s drive from her hometown. Upon reaching Moone, at 23:37, Ms Dullard telephoned her friend, Mary Cullinan. During their conversation, she informed Ms Cullinan that a vehicle had pulled over to offer her a lift, which she intended to take. This communication marks the final known contact she had with any individual. Her sister, Kathleen, reported her missing the next morning, November 10, 1995. At the time of her disappearance, Jo Jo was carrying her Sanyo stereo cassette player (model MGP21). For a period of 29 years, Ms Dullard’s disappearance has been under police investigation. Throughout these years, her sister, Mary Phelan, consistently advocated for her case. In 2008, the Crimestoppers Trust, which serves as Ireland’s national freephone service for combating crime, declared a €10,000 reward for any information that could aid gardaí in their continuing inquiry into the events of the night Ms Dullard disappeared. Her case also received attention on RTÉ’s Crimecall television program multiple times across the years. On October 19, 2020, nearly 25 years after she went missing, An Garda Síochána declared that the case was being reclassified as a murder investigation. When announcing this upgrade, An Garda Síochána stated that it was “satisfied that serious harm” befell Ms Dullard on the evening of November 9, 1995. At that point, gardaí commented that it was “another traumatic day for Jo Jo’s family as her case is publicly confirmed to be now an active murder investigation.” Moving to last Saturday, which marked the 29th anniversary of Ms Dullard’s disappearance, An Garda Síochána released a renewed public appeal for details concerning her case. The force indicated that the investigation had advanced, with almost 800 recommendations having been identified. These recommendations, it further stated, had guided and produced new avenues of inquiry for the investigative unit operating from Naas Garda Station. In their statement, gardaí remarked, “Jo Jo’s family have now suffered from her disappearance for 29 years.” They further affirmed, “An Garda Síochána is resolute in our determination to provide answers for Jo Jo’s family and bring her murderer to justice.” This past Monday, a man in his 50s was taken into custody on suspicion of Ms Dullard’s murder. He was held at a Garda station within County Kildare. This marked the initial arrest made in connection with the case. Detectives initiated a search operation on open terrain, close to the Wicklow and Kildare border, approximately a 10-minute drive from Moone. Supt Paul Burke informed journalists, “This area of land will be searched and subject to excavation, technical and forensic examinations over the coming days.” Additionally, gardaí conducted searches at two properties on Monday. Supt Burke also stated, “An Garda Síochána has been and continues to keep the family of Jo Jo Dullard fully updated in relation to this investigation and they have been fully apprised of all… developments.” On Tuesday, the individual was released without any charges being filed. The search operation remained active as of Wednesday. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.