Gardaí investigating the disappearance and assumed killing of Co Kerry man Michael Gaine are trawling through hours of video footage in an attempt to determine if he got into a vehicle at his farm and was driven off by someone he knew.
Despite extensive investigations on the missing man’s farm and lands near Kenmare, no evidence of violence or a struggle has been discovered.
Forensic testing of Mr Gaine’s car, which was parked in the farmyard, also yielded no traces of blood or any other evidence that suggested he had been attacked.
Though gardaí cannot be certain it was Mr Gaine who parked his car where it was found, and one line of inquiry is that he drove to the farm in the car, parked it and then got into a vehicle with a person he knew and left.
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Should that prove to be the case, it would raise the prospect of him being harmed and having his remains concealed at another location.
Garda sources said the remote location of Mr Gaine’s farm, on the road between Kenmare and Moll’s Gap, has made the investigation harder because of the lack of CCTV and other cameras in the area.
However, it is hoped that dashcam footage recorded on the road that passes the farm could capture him being driven in another vehicle. Gardaí are also examining the footage with a view to identifying people, especially those who knew him, who were in the area at the time he is believed to have gone missing.
The 56-year-old was last seen in Kenmare on Thursday, March 20th and was reported missing the following day. His bronze Toyota Rav4 was discovered in his farmyard – off the N71 at Carrig East – with his wallet and phone inside.
His disappearance was so sudden and out of character that gardaí suspected foul play from the outset.
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Mr Gaine visited a Centra shop in Kenmare on the morning of his disappearance and it is assumed, though unproven, that he drove his car from Kenmare to his farm yard.
A slurry pit at the farm yard was searched due to the possibility that he could have fallen in, or had his body concealed there, but nothing was found. Extensive searches were carried out on surrounding lands by members of the Defence Forces and Kerry Mountain Rescue, as well as volunteers, but no trace of Mr Gaine was found.
On April 29th, almost six weeks after Mr Gaine vanished, the case was upgraded to a homicide inquiry. Gardaí said that “based on the entirety of the information available to the investigation team” a decision had been made to reclassify the missing person inquiry.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris have been briefed on progress in the case, with both expressing confidence in the investigation team, based in Killarney. However, the mystery remains unsolved.
Mr Gaine’s wife, Janice, issued an appeal two weeks ago in which she said her husband’s disappearance has been “devastating”. She urged anyone with information to contact gardaí.
“He loved his home. He loved his farm,” Mrs Gaine said. “He loved animals. He loved rallying. He had lots of friends. He was a very popular guy. His disappearance is totally out of character, we knew that from day one.”
She added: “We just want Michael to come home. We want to know what happened to him because, if we can’t find Michael, I just don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Mr Gaine’s sister, Noreen O’Regan, also appeared in the video appeal. “We are absolutely heartbroken at what has happened. We are devastated; our lives are shattered. We want answers,” she said.
