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GARDAÍ ARE TO begin digging at a site in Waterville, Co Kerry today as part of the search for a man who has been missing for more than 25 years.
On 26 April 1991, Charles Brooke Pickard was bundled into his own van in Castleclove, county Kerry, by a group of masked men.
He has never been seen since and gardaí believe he was murdered. The 43-year-old Englishman left behind a wife and four young children.
Today’s excavation is focusing on an area of forest in the Ballaghisheen Pass just off the main Waterville to Ballaghisheen road.
The site is about 20km from Waterville and is less than a kilometre from where Brook Pickard’s navy Ford Transit van was found burned out in May 1991.
The burnt out car was found in Shronaloughane Forest in the townland of Derrennageeha.
Members of the Defence Forces are assisting An Garda Siochana in the operation and gardaí have also consulted with an anthropologist as part of the search.
The search is expected to last at least a week and the family of the deceased are being kept updated.
In May of this year, gardaí renewed their appeal for information on the case and it featured on RTÉ’s Crimecall.
Speaking in May, Killarney Superintendent Flor Murphy had said that the passage of time may have made people more free to provide information:
Some people may not have been in a position to assist the investigation twenty five years ago, but with the passage of time they may be able to help us now. Relationships, friendships and loyalties may have changed and people may be in a better position to help us now.
Gardaí say that today’s dig has come about as a result of information shared as a result of this year’s appeal.
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Gardai believe it was the INLA who thought, incorrectly, he had a large sum of cash they could extort. More freedom fighters liberating Ireland one civilian murder at a time.
Charlie. Do you have any evidence to support that statement??
@Ray, it’s called Google. Now this is the best bit: You’ll be brought to newspaper reports that actually quote the Gardai. Hopefully you can find use for such technology in the deep night of your wilful ignorance.
lol Charlie, that shut him up…
Darren, the article you link to specifically states that Gardai don’t think there was any paramilitary involvement in his murder. Perhaps you could change your smug comments and stop using the murder of a man to score your tedious political points
Apologies, Darren, it was your link but Charlie’s smug comments that ground my gears. Won’t happen again, guv!
Ray the dogs on the street in South Kerry know the organisation that was involved
Charlie. Google the free library. Give’s a different slant to your’s .maybe you should read more before you call someone ignorant?
Charlie Wrex! Only people of minimal intelligence believe what’s in google as it’s only Stories from reporters (sometimes freelance)
You are an absolute nut job to even quote google as your point of reference.
So get of your computer you know all and get a life .
Back to school you dope..sorry! TROLL!!
Now if only they’d dig up the garden that Philip Cairns is supposed to be buried in.
Or the land where Mary Boyle disappeared
Awful what happend ro this family as a result of their father’s death.
why not investigate Mary Boyle as well.
There’s too many careers on the line.
Another victim of republican terrorists. It did not take long for the first what about comment to be posted in order to deflect attention away from this particular murder.
Well it didn’t take long for you to pop up even though the Gardai believe it was a criminal gang involving an ex-INLA man and not a paramilitary gang or murder. That’s why this poor man is not included under the remit of the Disappeared Commission. Stop being an oaf, Leo
Better late than never…. Right?
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