GARDAÍ ARE TO begin digging at a site in Waterville, Co Kerry today as part of the search for a man who has been missing for more than 25 years.
On 26 April 1991, Charles Brooke Pickard was bundled into his own van in Castleclove, county Kerry, by a group of masked men.
He has never been seen since and gardaí believe he was murdered. The 43-year-old Englishman left behind a wife and four young children.
Today’s excavation is focusing on an area of forest in the Ballaghisheen Pass just off the main Waterville to Ballaghisheen road.
The site is about 20km from Waterville and is less than a kilometre from where Brook Pickard’s navy Ford Transit van was found burned out in May 1991.
The burnt out car was found in Shronaloughane Forest in the townland of Derrennageeha.
Members of the Defence Forces are assisting An Garda Siochana in the operation and gardaí have also consulted with an anthropologist as part of the search.
The search is expected to last at least a week and the family of the deceased are being kept updated.
In May of this year, gardaí renewed their appeal for information on the case and it featured on RTÉ’s Crimecall.
Speaking in May, Killarney Superintendent Flor Murphy had said that the passage of time may have made people more free to provide information:
Some people may not have been in a position to assist the investigation twenty five years ago, but with the passage of time they may be able to help us now. Relationships, friendships and loyalties may have changed and people may be in a better position to help us now.
Gardaí say that today’s dig has come about as a result of information shared as a result of this year’s appeal.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say