Gardaí renew appeal for help to find missing Tina Satchwell on third anniversary of her disappearance
GARDAÍ HAVE FOLLOWED MORE THAN 370 LINES OF ENQUIRY IN THEIR ONGOING INVESTIGATION
THE husband of missing Fermoy woman Tina Satchwell has again urged his wife to make contact in a poignant message on the third anniversary of her mysterious disappearance.
Ms Satchwell (47) vanished without trace from her home on Gratton Street in Youghal on March 20, 2017, and her husband, Richard, has used the third anniversary of her disappearance to appeal to the public for help in tracing the whereabouts of his wife.
His comments have come after gardaí in Midleton renewed their appeal to anyone who may be of assistance in their ongoing investigation into Ms Satchwell’s disappearance to contact them.
Speaking at Midleton garda station, Superintendent Adrian Gamble said gardaí were “firmly of the belief that credible information exists within the East Cork community” that can assist in their missing person investigation.
To date, this investigation has resulted in more than 370 separate lines of enquiry being conducted, including liaising with law-enforcement colleagues outside of the country and engagement with Interpol.
Officers have also scrutinised more than 100 hours of CCTV footage and taken in excess of 170 statements.
A senior investigating officer has been appointed, and a peer review is being conducted into the investigation.
“The team and I continue to actively investigate the disappearance of Tina Satchwell in March, 2017, and I appeal for anyone who has further information, no matter how insignificant they think it may be, to contact Midleton Garda Station on (021) 4621550, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station,” said Supt Gamble.
“Any information will be treated in the strictest of confidence,” he added.
Ms Satchwell was last seen by her husband, Richard, on the day of her disappearance when she asked him to leave their Youghal home on an errand. She was not at their home when he returned a few hours later.
Two suitcases, as well as items of Ms Satchwell’s clothing, were missing from the house. However, her beloved dog, Ruby, was left alone in the house.
Mr Satchwell raised the alarm four days later after realising that his wife had not gone to visit relatives in Fermoy.
Mr Satchwell had previously said there was nothing out of the ordinary on March 20, 2017, to indicate his wife was about to disappear.
“It was the same as any other morning: she got up and I made her a cup of tea and a slice of toast. It is something I will never forget.
“It wasn’t unusual for her to turn around and ask me to go shopping.”
“I thought nothing of it at the time. When I came back, the keys were on the ground. When she didn’t come back, I thought she was gone to Fermoy,”
he said.
A huge garda search operation subsequently swung into action, which included viewing CCTV footage shot at airports and ferry terminals to see if Ms Satchwell had left the country.
This despite the fact that she did not have a passport and there was no indication she had purchased any tickets for overseas travel.
Searches around the Youghal area and a major 12-day search of a 40-acre woodland outside Castlemartyr have also failed to yield any clues as to what happened to Tina.
Mr Satchwell has consistently maintained that his wife is alive and that all he wants is for her to return home safe.
In a statement issued to the Sunday Independent on the third anniversary of his wife’s disappearance Mr Satchwell said he felt like he was “living with a disability”.
“I know that the country is going through a tough time and some may think I’m selfish in asking them to keep contacting the garda with any information about Tina,” he wrote.
He went on to state: “This is for Tina...If you are reading this, please make contact and, first of all, keep healthy. But if you only make contact to say that you don’t want me, I can live with that.
“These last three years have been like learning to live with a disability and it’s been hard.
“Remember, love, and miss you.”