Missing pregnant woman investigation upgraded to murder

The disappearance of a pregnant Irish woman almost three decades ago has been upgraded to a murder inquiry.

A new search is under way to try to find the remains of Fiona Pender, 25, who went missing in County Offaly.

She was last seen at about 06:00 on 23 August 1996 at her flat on Church Street, Tullamore.

Gardaí (Irish police) have now announced that their investigation into Ms Pender’s murder has been reclassified as a murder investigation based on the entirety of the information available to investigators.

She went missing in a decade when a number of other young women also disappeared without trace in the same province of Leinster.

But Garda sources have always indicated that they do not believe her disappearance was linked to any of the other cases.

A new search is also under way on open ground close to Killeigh, about 5km from Tullamore.

Gardaí say the area will be subjected to excavation and technical and forensic examinations over the coming days.

Garda teams have conducted significant inquiries and what they describe as a sustained investigation over the last 28 years in an effort to establish what happened to Ms Pender.

During this time, investigators say they have collated thousands of documents and reports, taken more than 300 statements of evidence and retained a number of exhibits.

Extensive searches have been carried out and five people have been arrested and detained in connection with this investigation, according to police.

Ms Pender was described as 5’5″ in height, with long blonde hair and she was wearing bright coloured clothing and white leggings when she went missing.

She was seven months pregnant and was said to be looking forward to the birth at the time of her disappearance.

No one has been brought to justice for her disappearance.

Gardaí have renewed their appeal to anyone who may have any information about the case and who has not contacted investigators to come forward.

They have also appealed for help from anyone who may have previously come forward but felt at the time they could not provide police with all the information they had about the disappearance of Ms Pender.

The Republic of Ireland’s justice minister, Jim O’Callaghan, said he was briefed on further developments in the case on Monday, according to Irish broadcaster RTÉ.

Speaking in Limerick, O’Callaghan said Ms Pender’s family have “gone through a terrible time over the past 28 years or so”.

“I think it’s incumbent upon anyone who has information to bring that information to the gardaí so that this investigation can be concluded,” he added.