Family seeking closure as search resumes for Fiona
Part of the search team as gardai returned to the Slieve Bloom mountains yesterday
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Tuesday September 23 2008
THE mother of missing woman Fiona Pender has only only wish: to lay her daughter to rest alongside her late father and brother.
She spoke as gardai returned to an area of the Slieve Bloom mountains yesterday, at Monicknew Wood, in Co Laois, to recommence a search for the then 25-year-old woman.
Ms Pender was eight months pregnant when she went missing on the morning of August 23, 1996. Twelve years after her disappearance, gardai are still trying to find her body.
Her mother, Josephine Pender, told the Irish Independent of her devastation yesterday. "It's a two-edged sword. We're hoping we will find her, but if we do, we'll have to deal with that, too. But if I could just find her -- I miss her -- and my little grandson would be 12 now.
"I'm hoping that they'll find her and if they could just give us a bit of closure, and stop us looking and hoping. All I want is Fiona back, I don't want anything else. I don't want anyone punished. That doesn't matter to me, I just want Fiona back to give her a Christian burial with her daddy and her brother," she said.
Mrs Pender's only wish is to lay Fiona to rest alongside her brother, Mark, who was killed in a motorbike accident aged 22, and her father, Sean (50), who died in 2000.
Last May, gardai conducted a search in the same area of the Slieve Blooms after the discovery of a cross bearing Ms Pender's name was found at a picnic site in Monicknew Wood. That search yielded no results.
However, an expert who reviewed the case advised gardai to recommence the search in the woodland. Yesterday morning's search involved further soil testing by soil analysts.
"Hopefully, the cross was put there for a reason and hopefully she's there. It's not the way I would have liked to have her found her, but I just need to find her," said Mrs Pender.
Officers have told Mrs Pender that a top investigator, who was involved in the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, is working alongside gardai. Yesterday, a team of up to 30 gardai and members of the Defence Forces, aided by cadaver dogs, searched the undergrowth and started analysing at a site.
The team used special techniques to detect any "minute traces" in the soil.
Garda spokesman Superintendent Kevin Donohoe said the same site that was searched in May was being revisited.
"We've engaged search and soil experts from the UK who surveyed this area for us again a number of weeks ago, and who've indicated certain parts that weren't searched the first time that might be worthy.
"We have our own soil experts from the Garda Technical Bureau, along with the equivalent search expertise from the Defence Forces," he added.
Supt Donohoe said there was "considerable natural soil disturbance" in part of the area.
Gardai said they will be interviewing a number of people in connection with the disappearance of Ms Pender in the coming days. However, no arrests are anticipated. "Fiona Pender didn't disappear on her own. There are people out there who know the facts . . . we would appeal to them to come and talk to us now," he added.
- Eimear Ni Bhraonain
