An inquiry into the 30-year-old disappearance of an American woman in Dublin has been upgraded to a murder investigation.
Annie McCarrick was 26 years old when she went missing on March 26, 1993. McCarrick, who was originally from Long Island in New York, was living in Sandymount at the time of her disappearance.
As this weekend marks 30 years since she went missing, gardai have upgraded the active investigation into a murder inquiry. DMR South Central Detective Superintendent Eddie Carroll said: "There are person or persons, who have information on the disappearance of Annie McCarrick and her murder on or about the March 26, 1993, and who haven’t yet spoken to gardai or who may have already spoken to gardai but were not in a position to tell everything that they know at that time.”
Read more: Friend of Annie McCarrick said she was 'happy' in Ireland before disappearance
"I want to speak with any person who has any information on the large brown handbag which it is believed that Annie was in possession of when she went missing. I am appealing to those persons, 30 years later, to please come forward and speak to the investigation team.”
"The primary focus of this investigation is the victim, Annie McCarrick and her family. Annie’s father John has passed away not knowing what happened to his daughter.
"Annie's mother Nancy deserves to know the truth, she deserves to know what happened to her daughter on or about March 26, 1993. She is waiting 30 years for those answers.”
Annie visited Ireland as a teenager and later went on to complete her college education at St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra and at St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth before returning to New York in 1991, where she completed her studies at Stoney Brook University, New York. In January 1993, Annie moved to Ireland permanently where she lived in St. Catherine’s Court, Sandymount, Dublin 4, with two other tenants.
She worked as a waitress at the Courtyard Restaurant Donnybrook and as a waitress at Café Java Leeson Street. On the day she went missing, Annie spoke to both her flatmates before they left separately to travel home for the weekend.
Shortly before 11am Annie visited the AIB, Sandymount Road, to carry out some personal banking. This is the last confirmed sighting of Annie McCarrick, captured on CCTV.
Annie made arrangements with friends inviting them to her apartment for dinner the next day Saturday 27th March. Annie was excited planning for a visit by her mother Nancy, due to arrive on the March 30.
Subsequently, there are reported sightings of Annie in the Sandymount Green area, reported sightings of Annie boarding a No.44 bus bound for Enniskerry and a number of further reported sightings in Enniskerry village and Johnny Fox’s pub.
On March18, 1993 friends of Annie McCarrick were concerned for her welfare. Annie was not at home on Saturday March, 27 when they called for the dinner invite, she had not turned up for work either on Saturday or on the morning of March 28.
A friend called to her apartment on the evening of the March 28 and spoke with Annie's flatmates. Groceries purchased by Annie on the morning of Friday, March 26, 1993, in Quinnsworth, Sandymount Road, had been left unpacked in shopping bags (a receipt in the bags confirmed the date and time of purchase as 26/03/1993 11:02am). This is the last confirmed activity by Annie McCarrick.
Annie was reported missing by a friend on the evening of the March 28 at Irishtown Garda Station. This missing person report was confirmed by her mother Nancy when she arrived in Dublin.
Annie is described as 5'8" in height, 10 stone, long brown hair. She spoke with a soft Irish-American accent. When Annie disappeared it is believed she was in possession of a large brown leather bag.
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