Maughan family make appeal as search continues for couple

The family of William Maughan have made a fresh appeal for information on what happened to their son and his girlfriend, Anastasija Varslavane.

Joe and Helen Maughan were speaking at the site of a search being carried out in north county Dublin by gardaí investigating the couple's disappearance and murder.

The search at Ring Commons, Balrothery East resumed this morning and is focused on particular parts of a large area of bog land that have been identified by a cadaver dog.

Ms Maughan said she hoped that the search would give the family answers and closure.

"It's nine years now and things change. I would like [anyone with information] to just look at myself and Joe and my family and pass on any small piece of information. It might not mean a lot to them but it will mean a lot to us and the police. Let us have closure.

"Hopefully, today is the day we get William and Anna back. I just pray to God that I will get my child today and can give him a Christian burial."

"I just hope that for any family out there that has loved ones missing, looking at us here this morning, please don't give up. You get up everyday and you push forward. You don't go backwards, you go forward. And our thoughts and prayers are with all those other families, whose loved ones are missing.

Gardaí say they continue to keep the family fully updated on what is a long-running investigation and Mr Maughan praised their efforts when speaking at the scene this afternoon.

"The last nine years, the gardaí never gave up. They're there when we need them and they're there when we don't need them, doing their own thing in the background as well."

"We are more than thankful, thankful to them, to Drew Harris and his team trying to help us and other people in the same boat as ourselves."

William Maughan and Anna Varslavane were first reported missing in 2015 and the search launched yesterday forms part of the long-running investigation that was upgraded to murder in 2016.

The couple, who had been together since 2014, had lived in a caravan in Gormanston, Co Meath, about a ten-minute drive from the search site.

They were planning to move in with Mr Maughan's parents in Tallaght at the time of their disappearance.

When Mr Maughan's mother, Helen turned up to collect her son and Anna in Gormanston on Tuesday 14 April 2015 and bring them to Tallaght and they were not there, she became worried and reported them missing.

An extensive missing persons investigation was subsequently launched and then, in September 2016, the case was upgraded to a murder investigation.

To date, seven people have been arrested in connection with the couple's disappearance.

However, no one has faced criminal charges in relation to the case.

The investigation is being led by a senior investigation officer based out of an incident room at Ashbourne Garda Station.

Gardaí have said that they hope with the passage of time, people will now be in a position to come forward with new information.

They are asking anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant they might believe it to be, to contact Ashbourne Garda Station on 01 801 0600, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111 or any garda station.

A garda spokesperson has said any information will be treated with the strictest confidence and investigations remain ongoing.