Tullamore marks 30 years since Fiona Pender's disappearance with fresh Garda appeal

A memorial walk in Tullamore, Co Offaly, marked 30 years since the disappearance and murder of Fiona Pender. Gardaí have renewed their appeal for information.

Thirty-year anniversary of Fiona Pender case brings renewed Garda appeal

A memorial walk in Tullamore, Co Offaly, has marked three decades since the disappearance and murder of Fiona Pender, as gardaí issued a fresh appeal for information, Dublin Live reports.

Ms Pender was last seen at around 6am on Friday, 23 August 1996, at her flat on Church Street in Tullamore. She was 25 years old and seven months pregnant at the time. Her body has never been found, and no one has been brought to justice in connection with her disappearance and murder.

On Sunday, locals gathered at a memorial in Tullamore that was surrounded by photographs of Ms Pender, along with flowers, balloons and candles. Family friend Brendan Killeavy addressed those present.

"The community in Tullamore is gathered here to remember Fiona Pender on the 30th anniversary since she sadly left us back in 1996 — a very long time now," Killeavy said. "We're gathering here to remember Fiona and her baby, and I suppose an appeal out today as well for information."

Killeavy said he believed there were people in the community who held information that could still bring closure to the case. "Thirty years is a long time, but we feel that there's people that have information that would resolve this. No matter how small the information is, if you think it's irrelevant, it will be very relevant to the gardaí."

On the Friday preceding the walk, gardaí outlined the scale of investigative work carried out over the past 30 years. A Garda spokesperson said thousands of documents and reports had been discovered and collated, more than 300 statements of evidence had been taken, and a number of exhibits retained.

"Five people were arrested and detained in connection with this investigation and extensive searches have been carried out," the spokesperson said.

Gardaí specifically appealed to anyone who had previously made contact but felt they had been unable to share everything they knew. "Gardaí continue to appeal to any person who may have previously come forward who felt they could not provide Gardaí with all the information they had in relation to this matter, to contact the investigation team again," the spokesperson added.

The case of Fiona Pender remains one of a number of unsolved disappearances from the 1990s in Ireland. Her family, friends, and the wider Tullamore community continue to seek answers as to what happened to her and her unborn child.

Source: Dublin Live