UPDATE: latest Laois and Offaly searches for murdered pregnant woman Fiona Pender

Searches of lands in Laois and in Offaly by officers investigating the disappearance and murder of Tullamore woman Fiona Pender have yielded little, it has been revealed.

A Laois site in the Slieve Bloom mountains was searched last Wednesday and Thursday, May 28 and 29, following two days of searching bogland near Killeigh.

The search at Graigue, Killeigh concluded on Tuesday May 27, and Gardai had said the results were not being released for operational reasons.

However, it is believed that the Offaly site did not yield any information which will help solve the mystery of Fiona Pender's disappearance on August 23, 1996.

One source said the operation was successful in that it helped rule out that site but added: “There was nothing which would be useful to finding Fiona's remains.”

The second search site was in Co Laois, about four kilometres south of the village of Clonaslee off a road, Ross Road, used by hill walkers on the Glendineoregan Loop.

Security was tight in the vicinity of the search area and only people requiring local access were being permitted onto the link road leading from Hillside View in Clonaslee up towards the mountains.

It is known that a significant garda presence was located at a parking area on the route towards The Cut in the Slieve Blooms.

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Monicknew, where a search took place in 2008 following the discovery of a cross with the words 'Fiona Pender. Buried here, August 22nd, 1996' written on it, is a townland bordering Glendineoregan to the south. The remains of the 25-year-old were not found there.

In 2014 a search took place at Capard, Rosenallis, which is further away to the east of the current site, but nothing was found.

The first search on Monday near Killeigh coincided with gardai confirming that the case of Fiona Pender had been re-classified from a missing persons inquiry to a murder investigation.

After the conclusion on day two of the second search gardai again said the results were not being released for operational reasons but the family were informed.

A source with knowledge of the operation said that nothing was found. “It's another avenue closed off,” they said.

Fiona Pender was last seen at approximately 6am on the morning of Friday, August 23, 1996 when she was at her flat on Church Street, Tullamore.

Fiona was described as being 5'5" in height, with long blonde hair. She was 25 years of age at the time and seven months pregnant. She was wearing bright coloured clothing and white leggings.

Her remains have never been located and no person has ever been brought to justice for the disappearance and murder of Fiona.

People have been questioned and a suspect, a man known to Fiona, was identified and is believed to be now living abroad.

Investigating gardaí renewed their appeal to any person with any information in relation to the disappearance of Fiona, who has not spoken to gardaí, to please come forward and speak to the investigation team.

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Gardaí continue to appeal to any person who may have previously come forward who felt they could not provide gardaí with all the information they had in relation to this matter, to contact the investigation team again.

A garda statement concluded with another appeal to anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant they might believe it to be, to contact Tullamore Garda Station on 057 932 7600, or any Garda Station. Anyone who wishes to provide information confidentially is advised to contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.