Name: William Delaney
Case Classification: Endangered missing
Missing Since: January 31, 2019
Location Last Seen: Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Ireland
Date of Birth: Unknown
Age: 57 years old
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 5'6"
Weight: Medium build
Hair Color: Black/grey, receding
Eye Color: Blue
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown
Dentals: Unknown
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Unknown
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
William was a Tipperary native who lived in Portlaoise where he had a large family. On the morning of 30th January, 2019 William left Portlaoise General Hospital where he had been a patient. Gardaí have established that William collected his welfare payment at Portlaoise Post Office after leaving the hospital. William was last seen at approximately 3pm on the afternoon of Wednesday 30th of January 2019 in Monasterevin, Co. Kildare where he called to visit a relative who lived in the area. The relation wasn’t at home but William was seen outside the premises which is situated on the old Cork-Dublin Road directly opposite a local landmark known as the Hazel Hotel.
William was then reported missing by his family on Wednesday 6th March, 2019.
In June 2019 Gardaí received information that William Delaney had been killed and that his body had been buried at a location in Laois. A comprehensive search was conducted in the area surrounding the Rock of Dunamaise but no remains were discovered.
While his case was treated as a missing person’s inquiry for several months, it was subsequently upgraded to a murder probe. Gardaí believe Mr Delaney was killed by a person known to him over a personal matter and a suspect has been identified.
After receiving information that he had been tortured, murdered and then buried in a shallow grave near the ruins of Dunamase Castle outside Portlaoise, gardaí and the Defence Forces searched there in June 2019 but found nothing.
The information that search was based on came from a teenage girl who claimed a man known to her confessed to the murder. That information came to the attention of the missing man’s family who passed it on to the Garda.
The searches carried out in June 2019 for the remains were followed up by further searching in March in the Fieldbrook area of Portlaoise, but those searches also yielded nothing.
The missing man was accused of a serious assault against a young female known to him before he disappeared, as well as other allegations.
William Delaney had gone missing before officers had time to question him about the allegations.
Gardaí believe this man was abducted and murdered by people known to him before there was ever a chance to question him about the allegations.
"It is suspected he was picked up off the street and driven to his death," a senior source said.
Agency Name: Portlaoise Garda Station
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: +353 57 8674100 or 1800 666 111 (confidential line)
Agency E-Mail: Contact form
Agency Case Number: N/A
Agency Name: Garda Missing Persons Unit
Agency Contact Person: Sergeant Carmel Griffin
Agency Phone Number: +353 1 666 9476
Agency E-Mail: missing_persons@garda.ie
Agency Case Number: N/A
Garda
The Irish Times
Independent.ie
Added: 12/12/21; Last Updated: 12/12/21 - By: LS
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information is from the time of disappearance.
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