Larry Murphy killed woman and secretly buried her at Wicklow site, gardai told
Monster Larry Murphy killed a woman - and secretly buried her on this isolated stretch of land in rural Co Wicklow, gardai fear.Sources have told the Irish Mirror that officers probing the convicted rapist have been given what they judge to be credible information about a buried vehicle at the site that contains the remains of the woman.The anonymous information, which gardai believe is related to Murphy, was so credible that officers sealed off the stretch of land – just 10km north of Murphy’s former lair in Baltinglass, Co Wicklow – and brought in a digger to excavate the area on Monday.The information was so credible that gardai yesterday sealed off the stretch of land – just 10kms north of Murphy’s former lair in Baltinglass, Co Wicklow – and brought in a digger to excavate the area.It’s understood the site is a sand bank, and gardai are now set to spend days excavating it in the hope that the intelligence they have been given is accurate – and that there are the remains of a woman there.Sources tell us that although the families of missing women Deirdre Jacob, 18, and Jo Jo Dullard, 21, were notified of the search, gardai are not linking the two disappearances – and do not believe both women are there.Instead, both families were told because the area is close to the separate locations where each woman was last seen alive.Ms Jacob was last seen outside her home in Newbridge, Co Kildare, which is 30 kms north of the search site. And Ms Dullard was last seen in Moone, Co Kildare – some 17km to the west of the new site – in November 1995.Sources have told us gardai suspect the remains of one woman may be in the vehicle – and they are those of Ms Jacob, who was just 18 when she vanished in July 1998.Murphy, who served 10 years for the shocking rape and attempted murder of a woman in Co Carlow in the year 2000, has long been the prime suspect for disappearance of student teacher Deirdre, whose case was upgraded to murder in 2018.He allegedly told a fellow inmate in Dublin’s Arbour Hill Prison that he abducted Ms Jacob and killed her when she tried to fight him off.Gardai even sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions calling for Murphy, 61, to be charged with Ms Jacob’s murder - but the law officer declined because of a lack of evidence.However, he remains the prime suspect for Deirdre’s murder – and sources have confirmed to us he is the focus of yesterday’s dramatic development.The area of remote land has now been sealed off and gardai have brought specialist search teams for a digging operation. The search is likely to last several days.Gardai from the force’s cold case unit, called the serious crime review team, are now overseeing the search of the area – which is about 10 minutes' drive from Murphy’s stomping ground in Baltinglass.Another suspect is in the frame for the disappearance of Ms Dullard, but gardai did notify her family of yesterday’s search. That suspect was arrested in November 2024, but was later released without charge.Another plot of land in Wicklow was searched around the same time as part of the search for Ms Dullard – but no trace of her was found.A large section of land in Wicklow and close to the Kildare border has now been sealed off in the operation that began yesterday. Gardai confirmed the dramatic development in a statement on Monday.The force said: "Gardaí investigating the disappearance and murders of Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob are today commencing a search operation on open ground at a location in Co. Wicklow near the Wicklow/Kildare border."This area of land will be searched and subject to excavation, technical and forensic examinations over the coming days."An Garda Síochána continue to keep an open mind into these investigations and follow up any information which is brought to the investigation team based at the Serious Crime Review Team."Officers said the operation is being led by the Serious Crime Review Team, Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation supported by the Garda National Technical Bureau and local resources from Kildare Division as required.And they added: "The search operation has the support of other state expertise, if required."An Garda Síochána has been and continues to keep the families of Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob updated in relation to these investigations and they have been fully appraised of today's developments."An Garda Síochána appeals to anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant you might believe it to be to contact any Garda station, or anyone who wishes to provide information confidentially should contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111."Deirdre and Jo Jo are among a small number of cases of women who vanished from the Leinster area in the 1990s - and whose remains have never been found.They also include the case of Annie McCarrick, 27, who was last seen in south Dublin in March 1993. Gardai have also upgraded her case to murder. In June last year, officers searched a property in south Dublin as part of that probe - but stressed the current occupants were unconnected to the case.They also arrested a man on suspicion of murder -but he was released without charge. We contacted the parents of Deirdre for comment.Want to see more of the stories you love from the Irish Mirror? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives, top stories and must-read content straight away. To add Irish Mirror as a preferred source, simply click here
