Gardaí have admitted they are no closer to finding out what happened to the missing child Kyran Durnin, despite an exhaustive investigation.
Kyran (6) was reported missing along with his mother Dayla Durnin (24) a year ago by his grandmother Rhonda Byrne Tyson. She claimed that Dayla and her three children had stayed with her in her home in Hand Street, Drogheda, but had gone the following morning.
She reported her concerns to Tusla, the child and family agency, who advised her to contact gardaí.
[ Kyran Durnin case ‘absolutely horrific’, Tusla chief saysOpens in new window ]
She reported him missing on August 29th, 2024. A day later An Garda Síochána made a public appeal for information.
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Ms Durnin was later located safe in the UK but there was no sign of Kyran.
The last confirmed sighting of the child was in May 2022 when his mother reported him ill with Covid-19. He never finished the year in St Nicholas’ Monastery National School on Philip Street in Dundalk.
[ Kyran Durnin timeline: Last positive sighting was in 2022Opens in new window ]
She told the school that he was going to live in Northern Ireland and would be attending school there.
Gardaí believe that Kyran is dead and that some people know where he is buried but will not reveal the location.
In a statement to mark the first anniversary of his disappearance being made public, gardaí said they have been “unable to locate Kyran or determine what has happened to Kyran”.
This is despite a huge investigation which involved 570 separate actions.
Three domestic residences and adjoining lands were searched, which included excavation works as well as a full forensic examination of each scene.
Some 29,500 hours of CCTV footage was examined and a number of phones and laptops were seized and analysed.
Two people, a man and a woman, have to date been arrested on suspicion of murder. The pair, who knew each other, were separately arrested last December and questioned, but both were released without charge.
Gardaí say they are continuing to liaise with Tusla in respect of this investigation.
[ Case of missing schoolboy Kyran Durnin ‘absolutely horrific’, Tusla chief saysOpens in new window ]
The investigation team is led by a senior investigation officer (SIO) based in an incident room established at Drogheda Garda station.
Gardaí say it is not too late for witnesses to come forward with significant information.
“An Garda Síochána continue to appeal to the public, notwithstanding all the information that is in the public domain, to not assume that the investigation team know the information that you may have,” it said in a statement.
“An Garda Síochána is aware of the extensive public commentary on this investigation including speculation, rumours and theories on what may have happened to Kyran.
“Any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, will be welcomed by the investigation team. This information will be treated in the strictest confidence.”
