Search operation concludes in investigations into disappearances and murders of Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob
Deirdre Jacob, 18, and Jo Jo Dullard, 21, were abducted and murdered in 1998 in the Newbridge, Co Kildare area. Jacob, a student teacher based in London who was home for the summer, disappeared near her family home at Roseberry, Newbridge, shortly after 3pm on 28 July 1998, while Dullard last called a friend from a phone box in Moone, Co Kildare, at 11.37pm saying she was taking a lift from a driver. Gardaí believe Jacob's abduction was spur-of-the-moment and sexually motivated, and Larry Murphy remains the prime suspect for her murder. A search for the remains of both women at a disused quarry site at Castleruddery Upper, near the Wicklow/Kildare border, began on 15 June 2026 and was concluded in early July 2026, with results withheld for operational reasons. This was a second excavation in the same area, the first having been carried out earlier in 2026, and the Garda team was acting on intelligence that Murphy was involved in suspicious activity at the site around the time Jacob vanished.
- Reported2 Jul
- Arrested
- Charged
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Deirdre Jacob, 18, and Jo Jo Dullard, 21, were abducted and murdered in 1998 in the Newbridge, Co Kildare area.
- Jacob was a student teacher based in London who was home for the summer when she disappeared.
- Dullard last called a friend from a phone box in Moone, Co Kildare, at 11.37pm saying a driver had stopped and she was going to take a lift.
- Where
- Jacob disappeared near her family home at Roseberry, Newbridge, Co Kildare.
- When
- Jacob disappeared shortly after 3pm on 28 July 1998.
- Cause
- Gardaí believe Jacob's abduction was spur-of-the-moment and sexually motivated.
- Investigation
- Larry Murphy remains the prime suspect for the murder of Jacob.
- The Garda team was acting on intelligence that Murphy was involved in suspicious activity at the site around the time Jacob vanished in July 1998.
- A search for the remains of both women at a disused quarry site at Castleruddery Upper, near the Wicklow/Kildare border, began on 15 June 2026 and was concluded in early July 2026.
- Excavations were carried out at another location in the same area earlier in 2026, making this a second search in the area.
- Other details
- The results of the searches were not released for operational reasons, and the families of both women were updated on the outcome.
13 statements extracted from the articles
- whatJacob was a student teacher based in London who was home for the summer (irishtimes.com)
- whatDullard called a friend from a phone box in Moone, Co Kildare, at 11.37pm saying a driver had stopped and she was going to take a lift (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe search took place at a disused quarry site at Castleruddery Upper near the Wicklow/Kildare border (irishtimes.com)
- whereJacob disappeared near her family home at Roseberry, Newbridge (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe search began on 15 June 2026 (irishtimes.com)
- whenDeirdre Jacob was 18 when she disappeared shortly after 3pm on 28 July 1998 (irishtimes.com)
- causeGardaí believe Jacob's abduction was spur-of-the-moment and sexually motivated (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí concluded a search for the remains of Deirdre Jacob and Jo Jo Dullard at a site in Co Wicklow (irishtimes.com)
- investigationExcavations were carried out at another location in the same area earlier in 2026 (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe families of Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob have been updated on the outcome (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe Garda team was acting on intelligence that Larry Murphy was involved in suspicious activity at the site around the time Jacob vanished in July 1998 (irishtimes.com)
- investigationReturning to an area for a second excavation was very unusual in Garda cold case murder investigations (irishtimes.com)
- otherLarry Murphy remains the prime suspect for the murder of Jacob (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 2 Jul2026Gardaí conclude search linked to Deirdre Jacob and Jo Jo Dullard disappearances
Reports the conclusion of a second search at Castleruddery Upper, Co Wicklow, for the remains of Deirdre Jacob and Jo Jo Dullard, with results withheld for operational reasons. Confirms Larry Murphy remains the prime suspect for Jacob's murder and that Gardaí believe the abduction was spur-of-the-moment and sexually motivated.
victim, Deirdre Jacob, 18, female, irish (judged from name)Deirdre Jacobvictim, Jo Jo Dullard, 21, female, irish (judged from name)Jo Jo Dullardsuspect, Larry Murphy, male, named, irish (judged from name)Larry Murphy