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(23 years on)Search for Philip Cairns to continue for third day

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    #92
    Ann22
    Registered Users Posts: 8,004 ✭✭✭Ann22


    Latchy wrote: »
    Was that the guy who left a trail of unsolved sex attacks behind him ? He attacked women in southern ireland then moved up to the north ,were he carried on attacking for about a year or two .Then he moved over north east england to continue more attacks before he was caught and they are not sure how many more people he may have raped .

    I think I know who you're on about. I don't know his name. It's an older man. He's a suspect also in some of the missing women cases too.


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    #93
    G Luxel
    Registered Users Posts: 1,407 ✭✭✭G Luxel


    I remember that case very well. I was 13 at the time. The story was all over the papers and the news/radio. About ten years ago there was a report that as he disappeared in daylight, that he and some friends may have been hanging around a riverbank and that he stood on a branch and fell in and everyone just ran off. But since I heard the news in the last few days, I hope that this will be the end of the nightmare for the family.

    I also know a middle aged couple who disappeared in 1990 and have never been seen since. Their family is also going through hell and havent had any closure.


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    #94
    Latchy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,191 ✭✭✭✭Latchy


    Ann22 wrote: »
    I think I know who you're on about. I don't know his name. It's an older man. He's a suspect also in some of the missing women cases too.
    Dna is catching up with these guys .Like the scottish guy , a horrible excuse of a human being who gave his wife a terrible life .It was while working as a church larbourer he murdered a polish girl, about two years ago in england .I think they also found a body of another womon under the patio of the house he was living in down in Essex .She had being there many years .He looked very similar to the other guy i just mentioned in my last post .Very alike in face and physical features .Pure evil


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    #95
    alan4cult
    Registered Users Posts: 1,583 ✭✭✭alan4cult


    shqipshume wrote: »
    Lets hope they get that knock on the door.
    I read and old woman came forward saying she remembers the plot of land been freshly dug when he disappeared,what on earth took someone that long to come forward.And it also says after they searched, the old womans family came to the garda again to extend the search another 50 meteres.How bizzare is that.They seem very sure.:confused:
    That seems very strange. This excavation seems to be more organised as well according to media reports. I think the one 2 weeks ago lasted only a few days this one is set to last over the weekend.

    I remember watching a programme about the disappearance and about the bag turning up in a laneway. It said that there were books missing from the bag, but how did Gardai know this. How were they to know what was in his bag when he walking back to school?


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    #96
    Sharpshooter
    Registered Users Posts: 31,859 ✭✭✭✭Sharpshooter


    alan4cult wrote: »
    I remember watching a programme about the disappearance and about the bag turning up in a laneway. It said that there were books missing from the bag, but how did Gardai know this. How were they to know what was in his bag when he walking back to school?

    Wouldn't an inventory of his books tell what books were missing?


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    #97
    Latchy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,191 ✭✭✭✭Latchy


    Indeed , why would anybody go back to leave his schoolbag , not more than a few yards from phillp's house.?

    Was it the kidnappers ? Was it the gaurds trying to lure somebody into a trap ( unlikely ) ?

    Did phillip himself leave it there ?

    these were the questions unanswered then and now .


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    #98
    alan4cult
    Registered Users Posts: 1,583 ✭✭✭alan4cult


    Sharpshooter wrote: »
    Wouldn't an inventory of his books tell what books were missing?
    Good point!


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    #99
    Ann22
    Registered Users Posts: 8,004 ✭✭✭Ann22


    alan4cult wrote: »
    That seems very strange. This excavation seems to be more organised as well according to media reports. I think the one 2 weeks ago lasted only a few days this one is set to last over the weekend.

    I remember watching a programme about the disappearance and about the bag turning up in a laneway. It said that there were books missing from the bag, but how did Gardai know this. How were they to know what was in his bag when he walking back to school?

    His Geography book and two religion books -Christian Way 1 and the Good News New Testament (I think I had those books too:() were meant to be missing from his bag. Think he had those classes after dinner. Maybe they weren't at home or at school and maybe he had no locker at school so he changed his books at lunchtime for his afternoon classes so his bag wasn't so heavy.


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    #100
    Latchy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,191 ✭✭✭✭Latchy


    Sharpshooter wrote: »
    Wouldn't an inventory of his books tell what books were missing?
    If say for instance his history and grammer books were missing , they could have fell out as he was either running away or fell out if he was manhandled .Somebody may have found them but discarded them ,not realising their significance.


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    #101
    Sharpshooter
    Registered Users Posts: 31,859 ✭✭✭✭Sharpshooter


    Ann22 wrote: »
    His Geography book and two religion books -Christian Way 1 and the Good News New Testament (I think I had those books too:() were meant to be missing from his bag. Think he had those classes after dinner. Maybe they weren't at home or at school and maybe he had no locker at school so he changed his books at lunchtime for his afternoon classes so his bag wasn't so heavy.

    But if that was the case, they would have showed up at some stage in the investigation.
    Do you not think so Ann?


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    #102
    alan4cult
    Registered Users Posts: 1,583 ✭✭✭alan4cult


    I wonder why anybody would have kept the books and left just the bag.


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    #103
    nacho libre
    Registered Users Posts: 16,637 ✭✭✭✭nacho libre


    truecrippler wrote: »
    Maybe he has an account on boards :o.


    it's quite possible. just as it is possible the person who did it could have viewed this thread and is getting a kick out of doing so. if he left the schoolbag back to throw the guards off the sent it's likely this person has a big ego.
    as was said already it's likely the guards have interviewed his abductor but just can't get the evidence against him. if so i feel sorry for the retired detective who worked relentlessly to solve this case. of course his mother and father too. hopefully they can get closure before they die.


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    #104
    Sharpshooter
    Registered Users Posts: 31,859 ✭✭✭✭Sharpshooter


    Sharpshooter wrote: »
    Wouldn't an inventory of his books tell what books were missing?
    Ann22 wrote: »
    His Geography book and two religion books -Christian Way 1 and the Good News New Testament (I think I had those books too:() were meant to be missing from his bag. Think he had those classes after dinner. Maybe they weren't at home or at school and maybe he had no locker at school so he changed his books at lunchtime for his afternoon classes so his bag wasn't so heavy.
    Latchy wrote: »
    If say for instance his history and grammer books were missing , they could have fell out as he was either running away or fell out if he was manhandled .Somebody may have found them but discarded them ,not realising their significance.

    alan4cult wrote: »
    I wonder why anybody would have kept the books and left just the bag.

    Well Latchy could have a point.

    What if they did fall out of his bag as he was running away from someone.
    Wouldn't they have picked them up, and then had to destroy them because of fingerprints?


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    #105
    Latchy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,191 ✭✭✭✭Latchy


    nacho libre wrote: »
    as was said already it's likely the guards have interviewed his abductor but just can't get the evidence against him.


    Was there a suspect in the case ?

    I rememeber at the time ,the dual carrigeway is ( or was at the time ) not far away from phillps home .It would have not taken any abductees long to get away down that route and up away through to the dublin mountains .


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    #106
    alan4cult
    Registered Users Posts: 1,583 ✭✭✭alan4cult


    Latchy wrote: »
    Was there a suspect in the case ?

    I rememeber at the time ,the dual carrigeway is ( or was at the time ) not far away from phillps home .It would have not taken any abductees long to get away down that route and up away through to the dublin mountains .
    The M50 or whatever it was at the time?


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    #107
    Latchy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,191 ✭✭✭✭Latchy


    Sharpshooter wrote: »
    Well Latchy could have a point.

    What if they did fall out of his bag as he was running away from someone.
    Wouldn't they have picked them up, and then had to destroy them because of fingerprints?
    If they had the time and presense of mind to pick them up at the scene then maybe , yes .The lack of any witness's is also a bit baffling .


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    #108
    Latchy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,191 ✭✭✭✭Latchy


    alan4cult wrote: »
    The M50 or whatever it was at the time?
    Yes , this was before any motorways in ireland .If memory serves me right ,it was one of the lead roads in ,around and out of the rathfarnham/ballyboden/tempelouge area


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    #109
    alan4cult
    Registered Users Posts: 1,583 ✭✭✭alan4cult


    Latchy wrote: »
    If they had the time and presense of mind to pick them up at the scene then maybe , yes .The lack of any witness's is also a bit baffling .
    The lack of the books is even more baffling!


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    #110
    Sharpshooter
    Registered Users Posts: 31,859 ✭✭✭✭Sharpshooter


    Latchy wrote: »
    If they had the time and presense of mind to pick them up at the scene then maybe , yes .The lack of any witness's is also a bit baffling .
    All it takes is a second or two to pick up some books.

    I think if someone was chasing him they already had the upper hand and would have stopped to pick up traces of Philip being there.
    Whatever they decided to do after the chase (if there was one) they wouldn't want anyone to come across the books too soon.
    Especially if Philip still had his schoolbag.


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    #111
    Harpie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 277 ✭✭Harpie


    I remember reading somewhere a theory that questioned the significance of the fact that it was two religion books missing from the bag, implying that a sect or cult may have been behind the abduction.

    Of course, this is purely speculative. Something about this case has always chilled me. It was before I was even born, but the nature of it and the lack of any tangible clues, as with the missing women cases are just eerie. I would love to see closure for all of the families of Ireland's missing cases, but sadly it always seems unlikely.


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    #112
    alan4cult
    Registered Users Posts: 1,583 ✭✭✭alan4cult


    Harpie wrote: »
    I remember reading somewhere a theory that questioned the significance of the fact that it was two religion books missing from the bag, implying that a sect or cult may have been behind the abduction.

    Of course, this is purely speculative. Something about this case has always chilled me. It was before I was even born, but the nature of it and the lack of any tangible clues, as with the missing women cases are just eerie. I would love to see closure for all of the families of Ireland's missing cases, but sadly it always seems unlikely.
    Yes it is a very chilling case.


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    #113
    Ann22
    Registered Users Posts: 8,004 ✭✭✭Ann22


    Sharpshooter wrote: »
    But if that was the case, they would have showed up at some stage in the investigation.
    Do you not think so Ann?

    I was trying to explain how the guards may have known the books that were in his bag at the time. The fact that he may have deliberately put those books in his bag 'cos he needed them for the afternoon. If he had no locker he probably did sort out books at lunchtime.


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    #114
    Latchy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,191 ✭✭✭✭Latchy


    alan4cult wrote: »
    The lack of the books is even more baffling!
    It is
    Sharpshooter wrote: »
    All it takes is a second or two to pick up some books.

    I think if someone was chasing him they already had the upper hand and would have stopped to pick up traces of Philip being there.
    Whatever they decided to do after the chase (if there was one) they wouldn't want anyone to come across the books too soon.
    Especially if Philip still had his schoolbag.
    But if it was a spontainious kidnapp ,would you in all the panic have the presense of mind to pick up everything ? Not saying you couldn't btw .if was a planned abduction then these people would have covered all the angles
    Harpie wrote: »
    I remember reading somewhere a theory that questioned the significance of the fact that it was two religion books missing from the bag, implying that a sect or cult may have been behind the abduction.

    Of course, this is purely speculative. Something about this case has always chilled me. It was before I was even born, but the nature of it and the lack of any tangible clues, as with the missing women cases are just eerie. I would love to see closure for all of the families of Ireland's missing cases, but sadly it always seems unlikely.
    Indeed and it would bring some comfort to the familes .It must be absolutle hell for familes such as phillips ,not knowing were or what's happened to your loved one .It is a chilling case.I remember all the gardai activity so well .


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    #115
    Daroxtar
    Registered Users Posts: 4,319 ✭✭✭Daroxtar


    Harpie wrote: »
    I remember reading somewhere a theory that questioned the significance of the fact that it was two religion books missing from the bag, implying that a sect or cult may have been behind the abduction.

    Of course, this is purely speculative. Something about this case has always chilled me. It was before I was even born, but the nature of it and the lack of any tangible clues, as with the missing women cases are just eerie. I would love to see closure for all of the families of Ireland's missing cases, but sadly it always seems unlikely.


    Ya, for years afterwards i heard it was the moonies that took him. It was even said he'd been spotted handing out leaflets for them in london.
    As for the missing women, well Larry Murphy who is currently locked up for the kidnap, rape and attempted murder of a woman and was caught red handed up the mountains in a secluded spot, not a million miles from where some of the missing women were last reported. I'm not saying he did it, but.......


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    #116
    Ann22
    Registered Users Posts: 8,004 ✭✭✭Ann22


    Latchy wrote: »
    I have good reason to remember this because I was working In Marley park Rathfarnham , with Dublin Co Council at the time and we were trimming the trees branches in the area.We were on his road and opposite the lane were his scoolbag was found ,the day after his disappearance .
    His schoolbag actually wasn't found 'til a week after his disappearance. It was found in a laneway that had been thouroughly searched before this and there was no sign of the bag at that time. Also on the evening the two girls found it, quite a number of people had passed through the laneway and never saw it. The bag itself was quite dry considering it was raining earlier so it looks as if someone was only after putting it there.


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    #117
    Latchy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,191 ✭✭✭✭Latchy


    The guy who murdered that school girl in Yorkshire , Leslie ???? in 1975 , was only caught last year .DNA on her body caught him


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    #118
    Latchy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,191 ✭✭✭✭Latchy


    Ann22 wrote: »
    His schoolbag actually wasn't found 'til a week after his disappearance. It was found in a laneway that had been thouroughly searched before this and there was no sign of the bag at that time. Also on the evening the two girls found it, quite a number of people had passed through the laneway and never saw it. The bag itself was quite dry considering it was raining earlier so it looks as if someone was only after putting it there.
    That's strange because I thought it was the next day the bag appeared in the lane .Sorry for error .


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    #119
    Sharpshooter
    Registered Users Posts: 31,859 ✭✭✭✭Sharpshooter


    Latchy wrote: »
    It is
    But if it was a spontainious kidnapp ,would you in all the panic have the presense of mind to pick up everything ? Not saying you couldn't btw .if was a planned abduction then these people would have covered all the angles

    But if it was planned,and we don't know that it wasn't then the only one panicking would be Philip.

    I reckon the missing books say it was a planned abduction as all areas were covered in regard to evidence not being left behind.


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    #120
    Latchy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,191 ✭✭✭✭Latchy


    Sharpshooter wrote: »
    But if it was planned,and we don't know that it wasn't then the only one panicking would be Philip.

    I reckon the missing books say it was a planned abduction as all areas were covered in regard to evidence not being left behind.
    It would be mutch easier to throw somebody into the back of a van then get them into a car without a struggle of some sort .Lack of wintness' s is a bit strange to but the area is , again from memory , a very leafy quite neighbourhood .


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    #121
    CCCP^
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,749 ✭✭✭CCCP^


    Well, I'd say this guy whose currently in jail is a prime suspect for the murders that went on in the 1990s here, the thing is, I don't think he would be responsible for taking Phillip, don't serial killers just kill one specific target, like if they set out after women, it will just be women they look for?


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