Mum-of-two Elizabeth Clarke, 24, went missing in November 2013 and was declared officially missing two years later – police are now treating her disappearance as a murder case
The mother of missing Elizabeth Clarke paid tribute to her daughter as she pleads for police to find her body.
Noeleen Bieninda revealed she was desperate to give her daughter Elizabeth, from Co Meath, Ireland, a proper burial as Irish police (gardai) search for her remains. There has been no trace of Elizabeth, 24, since the mum-of-two went missing in November 2013.
Gardai have since made the rare move of upgrading the missing person’s case to a full murder probe. My lovely Elizabeth, rest in peace,” Ms Bieninda said on Friday as police started a dig to find Elizabeth at a house in Navan, Co Meath.
“Please God, my Lizzy’s body will be found, so I can lay her to rest,” she said on social media. “Love, ma.”
She added: “Lizzy knowing I will never see you again, that is going to be so hard. Knowing I can’t talk or hug you anymore or not having you in my life. It’s not right what happened, just to take your life like that.”
While Elizabeth was last seen in 2013, she was officially reported missing in January 2015. An unnamed source told Mirror affiliate The Irish Mirror the decision to upgrade was taken after officers got credible information that Elizabeth had been buried at the house.
Gardai are now focusing their efforts on two specific areas of the now-unoccupied property. The first area is in the back yard that had been covered in concrete in the past few years. The second is under the floorboards on the ground floor of the house.
Gardai confirmed the search in a statement on Friday morning and said they were treating her case as murder. The statement said: “The disappearance of Elizabeth Clarke has been the subject of a sustained Garda investigation, by the investigation team based at Navan Garda Station.
“The investigation is being led and coordinated by a Senior Investigating Officer. Gardaí have carried out extensive previous enquiries, including house to house enquiries, land searches, canal and river searches assisted by the Garda Water Unit and Meath River Rescue.
There have been no sightings of Elizabeth in over ten years. As a result of these extensive enquires, An Garda Síochána have re-classified the investigation from a missing person investigation to a murder investigation. Investigating Gardaí are today commencing a search at a house in Navan, Co. Meath.”
The police appealed for anyone with information to come forward and that people should not assume they do not want to hear from them. The statement continued: “An Garda Síochána have been and continue to keep the family of Elizabeth Clarke fully updated in relation to this investigation and they have been fully appraised of all of today’s developments.
“Investigating Gardaí continue to appeal to any person or persons with information in relation to the disappearance and murder of Elizabeth Clarke to please come forward to the investigation team.
“Do not assume that An Garda Síochána either know that information and/or that it has limited value. Let the investigation team make that assessment.
“Given the time frame of this investigation, Gardaí are asking the public that if they have any information in relation to the disappearance and murder of Elizabeth and for some reason held back on information they may have had, to come forward now. An Garda Síochána wish to reassure them that they will be treated sensitively.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Navan Garda Station at 046 9036100, their local Garda station or the Garda Confidential telephone line on 1800 666 111.
