'If the case was solved it would bring closure to the family': Satchwell search may go on for week

GARDAÍ investigating the suspected murder of Tina Satchwell are continuing to draw attention from locals as they work around the clock to conduct an intensive search.

One Youghal woman compared the scenes of recent days to a circus following the arrest of a man in his 50s on suspicion of murder, who has since been released without charge.

Another local said there was a palpable sense of relief in the community resulting from the unfolding developments.

She voiced hopes that the search might bring them one step closer to the end of a six-year mystery.

It comes as gardaí upgraded their investigation from a missing person case to a murder investigation.

The family of Tina Satchwell, who hail from Fermoy, were understood to have been among onlookers at the scene of the search.

They had been desperately hoping for her safe return after she went missing from her home in Youghal in March 2017.

Elia Kirwan, who lives close to where the search is being conducted, described the surreal nature of the investigation.

“It’s like a TV film being played out in Youghal,” she said.

“There were so many people here. It was packed.

“We remember when this lady went missing.

“People spoke about it, but then there was silence.

“Nobody talks about what happened anymore. A few years went by and people were able to forget.

“We didn’t have to live with it like the family did. They live with it every day.”

She spared a thought for Ms Satchwell’s family, adding: “She has been missing for so long now.

“If the case was solved it would bring closure to the family.

“Nobody wants to believe that somebody would do a thing like this.”

Ms Kirwan described the upgrade to a murder investigation as very “sudden”.

“I remember being told that this lady was missing but we haven’t heard anything for so many years.

“This is so sudden, which explains why everybody is coming out and asking what is going on.”

She recalled the initial stages of the investigation more than six years ago.

“They searched Castlemartyr and all around the place,” she said.

“It’s good to know gardaí have been working behind the scenes for so long.

“What is needed is closure for the family and all the people who knew Tina Satchwell.”

Meanwhile, a local man, who asked not to be named, said there is still a feeling of disbelief in the community more than six years on from Tina’s disappearance.

“There is still disbelief in some ways,” he said.

“People can be immune to these things because we are seeing these stories on the news all the time.

“Everyone in the area was getting on with their lives despite the shock.

“We remember the technical and forensic search at the beginning.

“It was only a missing person’s case then, as opposed to a murder [investigation].

“This is a sad tale for the family and of course for those in Fermoy where she is from.

“None of us know what went on. Of course, people have all kinds of theories.”

A woman living nearby said there is a sense of relief in the community that investigations have been upgraded.

“People are more relieved that there’s a possibility of the remains being found,” she said.

“I’m sure it would be a huge relief to the family to have this kind of closure. I think the ‘not knowing’ is the worst.”

A fellow local echoed her sentiment.

She said the first time she heard about the tragedy was on the radio.

“We just hope that they find the person who’s responsible,” she said.

It is understood that the search of the property in Grattan St may continue for as long as a week.

Gardaí and forensic experts pulled out all stops, availing of a woodchipper, mechanical jackhammer, and mini digger to ensure no stone was left unturned at the Grattan St residence.

A family liaison officer has been assigned to Ms Satchwell’s family.