GARDAI ‘SO CLOSE TO FINDING’ OUR SANDRA
Family hopes missing woman body is found
THE brother of murdered Sandra Collins says he believes gardai are close to finding her body.
Patrick Collins was speaking after officers received new information after a fresh appeal for the missing Mayo woman.
Investigators believe pregnant Sandra was abducted from Killala pier on December 4, 2000, and buried in a shallow grave.
Her siblings have never given up hope of bringing her home for burial – and an appeal on the 20th anniversary of her disappearance yielded results.
Patrick told Mid West Radio: “There was a major push in December, the gardai did terrific work.
“We’re spurred on by the fact that this is new information.
“People who may not have been in a position to contact us or contact gardai 20 years ago... now they felt that they couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“I think we’re getting there, bit by bit and day by day. It might not be tomorrow and it might not be next week or next month – I can’t give a timeline.
“But I don’t think it’s a matter of if we find her, I do think it’s when.
“Hopefully soon Sandra will be able to come home because this is a very solvable case. It’s a very small community, it’s not an urban setting.”
Gardai believe the chief suspect had help in disposing of Sandra’s body but their appeals had been met with silence until now.
The latest lines of inquiry will be analysed by detectives who met with Sandra’s family last month.
Patrick said: “Secrets don’t stay hidden forever and the truth comes out eventually.
“People’s conscience and their circumstances have changed, that is what I’m hopeful for.
“Hopefully we will all be here and alive to see the day when Sandra comes home.
“Just to bring her home, to bury her would mean everything.”
Secrets don’t stay hidden forever and the truth comes out PATRICK COLLINS ON HIS MISSING SISTER SANDRA
HUNT Team at Killala Harbour