Ireland Case No. 3782Murder · Co. Wicklow
Gardaí continue dig at Castleruddery Upper, Co. Wicklow, in Larry Murphy murder investigation
Specialist Gardaí from the Cold Case Unit continued excavating a sand pit at Castleruddery Upper, Co. Wicklow, on 19 February 2026, searching for evidence that Larry Murphy, 61, may have buried a car containing the remains of Deirdre Jacob, who disappeared in July 1998. The search also examines possible connections to the 1995 disappearance of Jo Jo Dullard.
- Reported16 Feb
3 reports - Arrested
- Charged
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports67 statements extracted from the articles
- whatJo Jo Dullard missed her last bus to Kilkenny and boarded a 10pm bus to Naas, Co. Kildare. (irishtimes.com)
- whatJo Jo Dullard called her friend Mary Cullinan at 11.37pm from a phone box in Moone, saying a car had stopped for her. (irishtimes.com)
- whatDeirdre Jacob walked into Newbridge town to get a bank draft to send to a college friend in London for their rent deposit. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe last known CCTV recording of Deirdre Jacob was at 2.35pm walking outside the PTSB Bank on Main Street, Newbridge. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe information is believed to be linked to rapist Larry Murphy. (irishtimes.com)
- whatInformation alleges something was buried on the lands at a disused quarry near the Wicklow-Kildare boundary. (irishtimes.com)
- whatA mechanical excavator was used to shift large mounds of earth. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe sentence was for the kidnapping, rape and attempted murder of a woman in the Wicklow Mountains in 2001. (irishtimes.com)
- whatShe told her friend a driver had stopped and she was going to take a lift. (irishtimes.com)
- whatShe had walked into Newbridge town to organise a rent deposit for her second college year in London, where she was studying to be a teacher. (irishtimes.com)
- whatSpecialist gardaí are using a large digger to excavate a specific site on the plot of land (irishmirror.ie)
- whatGardaí have moved significant amounts of earth, indicating they are burrowing deep into the site (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMurphy served 10 years for the rape and attempted murder of a woman he kidnapped in Carlow in 2000 (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMurphy is the prime suspect for the 1998 abduction and murder of 18-year-old Deirdre Jacob (irishmirror.ie)
- whatGardaí have been given credible information that Murphy may have buried at least one vehicle on the land (irishmirror.ie)
- whatOne theory is that Murphy may have put the remains of Ms Jacob in the car and then secretly buried it at the site (irishmirror.ie)
- whatDeirdre Jacob was a student teacher (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe site has been sealed off for a second day (irishmirror.ie)
- whatLarry Murphy, 61, is suspected of abducting and murdering student teacher Deirdre Jacob, who was 18 when she vanished from outside her home in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, in July 1998. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatOne theory is that Murphy may have put the remains of Deirdre Jacob in a car and then secretly buried it at the site. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatGardaí are also examining the site for any possible connection to Jo Jo Dullard, who was 21 when she was abducted from Moone in Co. Kildare in November 1995. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe scene at Castleruddery Upper, Co. Wicklow, was sealed off on Monday. (irishtimes.com)
- whereMurphy is originally from Baltinglass. (irishtimes.com)
- whereShe disappeared near her family home at Roseberry, Newbridge, Co. Kildare. (irishtimes.com)
- whereDeirdre Jacob was last seen outside her home in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, 30km north of the search site (irishmirror.ie)
- whereJo Jo Dullard was last seen in Moone, Co. Kildare, 17km west of the site, in November 1995 (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe site is just off the N81 that connects Wicklow to south Dublin (irishmirror.ie)
- whereDeirdre Jacob was abducted from outside her home in Newbridge, Co Kildare (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe search operation is centred on land at Castleruddery Upper, close to the N81. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenDeirdre Jacob was last seen near her home at Roseberry, Newbridge, Co. Kildare, at about 3pm on 28 July 1998. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe information dates back to claimed events at the quarry three decades ago. (irishtimes.com)
- whenJo Jo Dullard, 21, was last seen on 9 November 1995. (irishtimes.com)
- whenShe called a friend from a phone box in Moone, Co. Kildare, at 11.37pm. (irishtimes.com)
- whenDeirdre Jacob, 18, disappeared shortly after 3pm on 28 July 1998. (irishtimes.com)
- whenA digger was brought in to excavate the area on Monday (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí started a new search at a site in Co. Wicklow near the border with Co. Kildare on 16 February 2026. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe search is part of investigations into the murders of Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationNew information was received that something may have been buried at the site. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe search is predominantly for items as opposed to remains, though remains cannot be ruled out. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe area to be searched will be subject to excavation as well as technical and forensic examinations. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA restriction against the use of drones was put in place in the search area. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationMurphy has long been regarded as the chief suspect for the murder of Deirdre Jacob. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationAnother man was questioned in 2024 about Jo Jo Dullard's killing. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí are treating Murphy as the person suspected of carrying out the alleged burial. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA file was sent to the DPP in 2021 in the Deirdre Jacob murder investigation with Murphy as chief suspect, but no charges were directed. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA man arrested during the November 2024 search was released without charge. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationIn 2018, gardaí travelled to the UK to interview Murphy, who did not substantively engage with them. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí believe a buried vehicle at the site contains the remains of a woman (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe search is expected to last several days (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationFamilies of Deirdre Jacob and Jo Jo Dullard were notified of the search (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí are not linking the two disappearances (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí suspect the remains may be those of Deirdre Jacob, who was 18 when she vanished in July 1998 (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe search is led by the Serious Crime Review Team, Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, supported by the Garda National Technical Bureau and Kildare Division (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationAnother suspect for Jo Jo Dullard's disappearance was arrested in November 2024 but released without charge (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationAnother plot of land in Wicklow was searched as part of the Dullard search but no trace was found (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí from the Cold Case Unit, or Serious Crime Review Team, decided to excavate the area (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe search operation may last several more days (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí have been digging at the site in rural Co. Wicklow for three days and the excavation is expected to continue on Thursday morning. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationDetectives from the Cold Case Unit decided to excavate the area after being told about suspicions about vehicles being buried there. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationNothing had been found at the search site as of the previous evening, and hundreds of tonnes of sand and earth had been removed using a heavy digger. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceMurphy was released from prison in 2010 having served 10 years of a 15-year sentence. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe two disappearances are not currently believed to be connected. (irishtimes.com)
- otherLarry Murphy served 10 years for the rape and attempted murder of a woman in Co. Carlow in 2000 (irishmirror.ie)
- otherDeirdre Jacob's case was upgraded to murder in 2018 (irishmirror.ie)
- otherAnnie McCarrick, 27, was last seen in south Dublin in March 1993 and her case was upgraded to murder (irishmirror.ie)
- otherMurphy now lives in England (irishmirror.ie)
- otherLarry Murphy is now living in England and is believed to have been familiar with the land. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 19 Feb2026Specialist gardai probing monster Larry Murphy to return to Wicklow dig site
Reports the continuation of the dig operation at Castleruddery Upper on 19 February 2026, detailing the theories being examined (a buried car with remains), Murphy's familiarity with the land, and the secondary examination for a connection to the Jo Jo Dullard case.
suspect, Larry Murphy, 61, male, named, irish (judged from name)Larry Murphyvictim, Deirdre Jacob, 18, female, irish (judged from name)Deirdre Jacobvictim, Jo Jo Dullard, 21, female, irish (judged from name)Jo Jo Dullard - 17 Feb2026Wicklow murder search enters day two as gardai seek buried vehicle
Day two of the search; specialist gardaí using a large digger to excavate deep into the site; credible information that Murphy may have buried at least one vehicle; Murphy now lives in England; search may last several more days; Gardaí also examining site for possible connection to missing Kilkenny woman Jo Jo Dullard but are not linking the two cases.
victim, Deirdre Jacob, 18, female, irish (judged from name)Deirdre Jacobsuspect, Larry Murphy, 61, male, named, irish (judged from name)Larry Murphy - 17 Feb2026Larry Murphy killed woman and secretly buried her at Wicklow site, gardai told
Gardaí sealed off a site 10km north of Baltinglass and brought in a digger to excavate a sand bank where they believe a buried vehicle containing a woman's remains may be found. The search is led by the Serious Crime Review Team and is expected to last several days. Families of both Deirdre Jacob and Jo Jo Dullard were notified, though Gardaí are not linking the two disappearances.
suspect, Larry Murphy, 61, male, named, irish (judged from name)Larry Murphyvictim, Deirdre Jacob, 18, female, irish (judged from name)Deirdre Jacobvictim, Jo Jo Dullard, 21, female, irish (judged from name)Jo Jo Dullard - 16 Feb2026Larry Murphy linked to search over disappearances of Deirdre Jacob and Jo Jo Dullard
Reports a new search operation at a quarry near the Wicklow-Kildare boundary linked to Larry Murphy, provides details of both women's disappearances, Murphy's criminal history, and prior investigative steps including a 2021 DPP file and a November 2024 search near Grangecon.
victim, Deirdre Jacob, 18, female, irish (judged from name)Deirdre Jacobvictim, 21, female, irish (judged from name)suspect, Larry Murphy, 60, male, named, irish (judged from name)Larry Murphy - 16 Feb2026New Garda search connected to disappearances of Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob welcomed
Reports a new search operation at a site in Co. Wicklow near the Kildare border, connected to the ongoing investigations into the 1995 and 1998 disappearances. Provides detailed timelines of both women's last known movements and confirms no arrests were made as part of the search.
victim, 21, female, irish (judged from name)victim, Deirdre Jacob, 18, female, irish (judged from name)Deirdre Jacob