Deirdre Jacob’s body must be found if anyone is to be convicted for her murder, according to a retired cold case detective.

Today is the 24th anniversary of Deirdre’s disappearance in Co Kildare.

She was just 18 years old when she disappeared as she was walking home in Newbridge, County Kildare on July 28th, 1998.

Gardaí believe she was murdered, but no one's ever been convicted.

Gardaí searching a wooded area near Usk Little in Co Kildare, in relation to investigations into the disappearance of women in the Leinster area including Deirdre Jacob and JoJo Dullard. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie

Rapist and attempted murderer Larry Murphy has long been a suspect in the case; however, the DPP recently decided the Gardaí didn't have enough evidence to charge him.

Alan Bailey, who was the lead detective in the Garda Cold Case Unit before his retirement, told Newstalk he remains a major person of interest.

“That is based on his modus operandi when he was involved in the abduction, rape and attempted murder of another female in the Year 2000,” he said.

He said Deirdre's body needs to be found to solve the case

“It is very difficult to prove somebody has been murdered if you don’t have the body to say, well this is the body of so and so,” he said.

“If the body is located tomorrow morning, I have no doubt it will be carefully examined.

“With all the advances in DNA investigation and things like that, there is the possibility of locating some bit of evidence on the body or at the body dump scene which might help secure a conviction.”

Inspector John Fitzgerald from Kildare Garda Station holds a media briefing as Gardai search a wooded area of Brewel East, on the Kildare/Wicklow border for the remains of Deirdre Jacob who disappeared over 20 years ago. Picture date: Monday October 11, 2021.

Mr Bailey appealed to anyone who know anything about Deirdre’s disappearance to contact Gardaí.

“I would be appealing to anyone out there who as any information no matter how small they think it is,” he said.

“It is a difficult thing to live with, taking a life, but it is also difficult to live with the knowledge of what happened and the knowledge that there is a family still grieving and still looking for answers and that all it would take is maybe a phone call.

“It might be time for that person that they pick up the phone and say this is what happened.”

Gardaí searching a wooded area near Usk Little in Co Kildare, in relation to investigations into the disappearance of women in the Leinster area including Deirdre Jacob and JoJo Dullard. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie

He said the last quarter century has been very difficult for Deirdre’s family.

“Deirdre would be 43 years of age this October,” he said.

“It has been a long, long time for her family, and they have lost an awful lot of milestones in the meantime with losing Deirdre.”

He said the answers are still out there and Deirdre’s family deserves closure.