2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Paul Healy)
Retired Garda detective says he believes “something sinister” happened to missing Kerry farmer Michael Gaine. Alan Bailey, who led ‘Operation Trace’ - a massive 13 year investigation which looked into infamous missing persons cases - says he believes, based on information in the public domain about the disappearance of the Kenmare farmer, that foul play has occurred. “The fact that he hasn’t been found to date suggests something very sinister as far as I’m concerned,” Alan told us.
This week marks the fourth since well known farmer Michael (56) seemingly disappeared without a trace from his farm near Molls Gap, just outside Kenmare town, on Thursday, March 20. Alan, who looked into the baffling disappearances of Raonaid Murray, Jo Jo Dullard and Annie McCarrick said he believes based on the scale of the search to date, that Mr Gaine would’ve been found by now - had he died in an accident or personal tragedy. “In missing persons cases there are often people who go missing by choice and we talk about push and pull factors that drive some people from their home.
But there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of a push pull factor here and that’s one of the first things investigators look for,” he said. Alan says he has never seen a search of this scale - involving 250 volunteers, multiple garda units, helicopters, drones, Civil Defence and the Defence Forces, occur so quickly after a person went missing. “Not this quick.
I have to say the gardai and others involved have been on the ball so far with the search. The first thing that springs to mind is I would be interested in how quickly they got involved whereas in a lot of other missing persons cases it was days and weeks before any alert and proper searches by authorities took place. “So I was very impressed by how quick they got into it and it seems to be very well organised.
” Alan told us his suspicions of foul play come amid a garda appeal which revealed that Michael Gaine was last seen purchasing phone credit in the Centra in Kenmare at 9:48am on Thursday, March 20 - with his phone subsequently then being found in his seemingly abandoned Rav4 jeep on his farmyard. “From the get go the man was seen in his local shop purchasing phone credit, which is not something you do if you plan to do away with yourself. It was just an everyday occurrence and the next thing he’s gone.
Alan says it is likely that investigating gardai - who have publicly stated they are “no closer” to finding Michael, must be privy to information that has not been put out in the public domain - and perhaps this may help explain some of the size of the investigation to date. “One thing is the public would not be privy to everything the gardai know and maybe there is something they have known from the start that made them suspect the worst.” Alan says gardai have likely already checked flights and travel arrangements of those that knew Michael Gaine - and believes officers must have information that has led them to make such numerous public appeals.
In their most recent appeal, gardai asked if Michael is alive that he make contact with someone. Speaking to the media outside Kenmare Garda Station on Friday, Superintendent Dave Callaghan also acknowledged that this was a “unique” missing persons case and “probably one of the largest searches we've conducted in the Kerry division in recent times.” Asked by the media if gardai suspect that Michael (56), who seemingly vanished without a trace from his farm yard just outside of Kenmare on March 20 may still be alive, the Superintendent said: “We haven't recovered Michael.
This is still a missing persons investigation. So I would appeal that if he is alive, that he would contact someone, or that if anyone knows that he's alive or knows his whereabouts, to make contact with gardaí,” he said. The Superintendent said in the three weeks since Michael disappeared gardai have made 230 enquiries, taken 100 statements and garnered over 1,500 hours of CCTV footage.
And he acknowledged that the search, which has involved multiple garda units, helicopters, drones, the Civil Defence, Defence Forces, Coast Guard and over 250 volunteers has been challenging amid mountainous and dense terrain. “Well, look, every, every missing person investigation is, obviously, investigated, and it depends on the information you have and the circumstances surrounding it. It (this case) is unique.
We are three weeks into it, and we don't, we don't know his whereabouts, and that is unique. It's challenging as well too,” he said. “The searches are continuing at this time, and they will continue into the weekend and into early next week, and that's reviewed on a daily basis, indeed, from the incident room.
So to say that we're still searching, I think probably highlights, I suppose, you know, I suppose the mystery in relation to Michael Gaine’s whereabouts, and that is, that is challenging, and we were not any closer to finding him than we were.” Asked about items that were found on Michael’s farmland last week - which included a bow and arrows and a hatchet, the senior garda stated: “So as you were aware, obviously extensive searches have gone on in the immediate area of Michael Gaines farmyard and the surrounding lands. Items were discovered, and we have taken them into our possession.
I'm not going to comment in relation to the relevance, if any, in relation to the whereabouts of Michael.” He stated there were other items that he was not going to be specific about and cited that he did not want to add to “rumors and speculation” that are “widespread within the community.” The Superintendent further stated that Michael Gaine’s “extremely concerned” family have appealed for privacy at this time.
“Yeah, the family are obviously extremely concerned. They have asked for privacy at this time, and I think you know, for that to be respected, it's a very difficult time. Asked if there was any one particular lead that was heading gardai in a particular direction in this investigation he said: “I mean, I suppose every, every lead of the 230 are important.
One is as important as the next. And again, as I answered already, we haven't recovered, or we haven't located Michael. We don't know where his whereabouts are.
His family are extremely concerned, and we are extremely concerned,” he said. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here..
