Garda's appeal on missing Deirdre Jacob led to 70 new 'phonecalls

An appeal for information on the 20th anniversary of Deirdre Jacob's disappearance has led to more than 70 new calls from members of the public, it has emerged.

A murder investigation was launched two months ago and CCTV footage (above) was released of the Newbridge teenager on the day she went missing.

Gardai are pursuing several significant leads but one line of inquiry relates to convicted rapist Larry Murphy, who is a "person of interest" in the case.

Murphy, a carpenter and tradesman, travelled throughout the Leinster region for his work.

Detectives are working through re-interviewing builders and trades people who were operating in Newbridge in the months before and after Deirdre disappearance.

The new investigation is placing renewed focus on the statement of a prisoner who claimed that a drunk Larry Murphy allegedly boasted while in prison of abducting a woman outside Newbridge, the Sunday Independent reports.

Murphy was serving a prison sentence at the time for the kidnap and rape of a woman in the Wicklow mountains.

The prisoner's allegations led to number of unsuccessful searches for Deirdre Jacob in and around the Wicklow area.

Teenager Deirdre vanished in July 1998 from the roadside close to her home outside Newbridge.

She had been on errands in the town and was seen by neighbours on her way home that afternoon before she seemed to disappear without trace just yards from her home.

After Murphy completed his sentence, the prisoner made several detailed statements about his alleged confession to a retired detective.