PARENTS’ HOPE AFTER POSSIBLE SIGHTINGS OF MISSING DAUGHTER
THE parents of a missing woman are fundraising for a private investigator after reports of possible sightings emerged. Catrin Maguire was 22 years old in November 2021 when she bought a return ticket to Holyhead, Anglesey, and vanished.
Her parents Gerry and Wendy have vowed never to give up their search.
Last year, North Wales Police released a damning report into its own work on the case, finding six “unacceptable” failings.
The couple, from Holyhead, have lost faith in the force, which is no longer actively investigating the case.
Following our last story on the disappearance, several people contacted Gerry and Wendy about reported sightings of Catrin which they had not been aware of, although those who came forward said they had provided the information to police much earlier.
Catrin, a “happy-go-lucky” Bangor University student with no known mental health issues, was previously thought to have been last seen at 1.18pm on November 15, 2021, walking near the cafe of the South Stack Cliffs RSPB nature reserve.
But Gerry, 52, said: “A witness has told us he saw Catrin at around 4.30pm to 4.45pm that day at the bottom car park of South Stack.
“He reported it to the police but this information was not relayed to us at the time. Police then went back to him a year later.
“They wanted to know about an engineer who was working in the area at the time. Why did they go back a year later if it wasn’t credible?”
At the time of the possible sighting, the witness was waiting for an engineer to turn up at his property.
The engineer was late when he eventually arrived that evening.
Given the force had questions about the engineer a year later, Gerry questioned why officers did not inform the family of any concerns.
Since early in the investigation, the force has told the family its “working hypothesis” is Catrin took her own life at South Stack Cliffs.
Another witness recently came forward to the family about a reported sighting of Catrin on New Year’s Day 2022 at Holyhead Breakwater Country Park.
“She saw a woman of exactly Catrin’s description getting out of a red campervan with a man, and he had two young children,” said Gerry.
“She was that concerned, thinking this was the person being searched for, that she called 101.
“The operator took her information and never got back. We weren’t told.”
These are among the new details that the family want to hire a private investigation team to examine.
They say the team would essentially be “starting afresh” given the failings of the police investigation.
Gerry and Wendy hope the fundraiser will help cover the costs, but if the £25,000 target is not hit they will consider remortgaging or selling their house to get the funds.
“We feel that passionately that we need answers and closure,” said Gerry. “It’s the only way forward.”
The family have always felt several things about the disappearance do not add up, and they believe Catrin is alive.
Before she went missing, she was subjected to “vicious” abuse by her landlady.
Gerry and Wendy’s message to their daughter is: “Wherever you are, whatever has happened, just get in touch. Let us know you’re safe.
“We miss you terribly. We love you and want you home and back with us.”
Catrin is around 5ft 5in tall with a slim build.
On the day she disappeared she was wearing a black duffel coat and a lightcoloured handbag.
Any money left over from the fundraiser will be donated to Mon-SAR rescue team, Holyhead RNLI and Missing People
UK.
North Wales Police Chief Superintendent Sian Beck said: “Our thoughts remain with Catrin’s family, we understand their need to find out what has happened, and we will continue to review any further information we receive.
“We would appeal to anyone with information that hasn’t already been shared with us to contact us quoting reference 40695.”