Gardaí (Irish police) have commenced a fresh search operation on open ground near the Wicklow-Kildare border as part of ongoing murder investigations into the disappearances of Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob. The operation, which began on June 15, 2026, involves extensive excavation and forensic examinations led by the Serious Crime Review Team and the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Jo Jo Dullard, 21, was last seen on November 9, 1995, after traveling from Dublin to Moone, County Kildare. Her case was upgraded to a murder inquiry in 2020. Deirdre Jacob, 18, disappeared on July 28, 1998, near her home in Newbridge, County Kildare; that investigation was reclassified as a murder inquiry in 2018.
Authorities confirmed that a technical ground survey was completed prior to the current excavation, with assistance from the Irish Defence Forces. A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána stated that the families of both women have been kept fully updated on the developments, noting that they were appraised of the search plans before operations commenced.
The search represents a significant logistical effort to uncover evidence in two of Ireland’s most prominent cold cases. Police have not provided a specific timeline for the operation, which remains ongoing.