COLD Case detectives have issued a new appeal to find the killer of Patricia Doherty.
The 29-year-old prison officer disappeared in Dublin on December 23, 1991. Her body was found in the Dublin mountains six months later.
Patricia, whose husband Patrick is from Ballybofey, had been murdered.
Her death has been the subject of several appeals in the past and has been written about in several books including one grimly entitled “Where No-one Can Hear Your Screams.”
The mother of two’s disappearance and death have been linked in the past to claims that a serial killer was involved.
Last night’s RTE series Cracking Crime programme saw a renewed appeal from the Gardai Serious Case Review Team.
“There are people out there who know exactly what happened to Patricia on that particular day. They have the information in their possession,” said Det Supt Christy Mangan.
“They have held that since 1991 and what I would say – in order to give answers to the Doherty family – I would ask them to impart this information to us as investigators no matter how small they think the information they have. Let us decide on the relevance of that and investigate it in order that we can solve the murder of Patricia Doherty.”
Last night’s programme featured a reconstruction of Kerry-born Patricia’s last known movements in the Tallaght area of Dublin where she lived with Patrick and their two children Gerard, then aged eight and Kelly then aged seven.
It detailed how the Donegal man had made a radio appeal on 2FM in the days after his wife disappeared and it also revealed that he had received several silent phone calls. Gardai have never been able to trace who had made those calls.
Neighbour Ann McCauley told the programme that the community where the Dohertys lived in Dublin never got over the disappearance and murder.
Garda Request for Assistance:
Can you help the Gardai to solve this crime? If you have any information please contact the following or email the link below. Any information received will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Detective Superintendent Christopher Mangan, Serious Crime Review Team
Email:NBCI.SCRT@garda.ie
Garda Confidential Line:1800 666 111
Crimestoppers:1800 250 025
Serious Crime Review Team Office:01 6663444