Ten years on, family make fresh appeal over missing man Gerard Conway

Gerard was last seen in the Cookstown area at the end of January 2007. He was reported missing a short time later, however despite extensive enquiries by police over a number of years, no clues as to his whereabouts have been discovered.

Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Talbot, from Serious Crime Branch, said: “Gerard’s disappearance continues to cause heartache and uncertainty for his family. The passage of time has not eased this pain. We hope this renewed appeal will help them discover just what has taken place.

"Gerard was 32 when he went missing. He is 6 feet tall and of medium build. He had short, dark brown hair and blue eyes and has a scar running through his right eyebrow and another above his right eye.

“After he was reported missing on February 13, 2007, police made initial checks in and around Cookstown and extended these to the Republic of Ireland and to England. We have CCTV footage of Gerard at a bank in Cookstown on January 25 and there were sightings by people who knew him in late January and early February.

“In the immediate aftermath of Gerard’s disappearance, there were unconfirmed sightings in the Magherafelt, Toome and Ballymena areas. Widespread search activity of the countryside around Cookstown, using dogs and aircraft, was unsuccessful. Because of the family’s connections with the Republic, we have worked with An Garda Siochana to extend the appeal there but, sadly, to no avail.

“After 10 years we still have no definite leads as to what has become of Gerard and we continue to appeal for information. We hope this appeal will run in local media and we will be uploading it onto various social media platforms over the coming days and weeks. Gerard’s disappearance has been heartbreaking for his family and friends. Their own substantial efforts to locate Gerard have been commendable and they deserve to know what has happened to him.”

"Anyone with information, no matter how small, is asked to contact the police by calling 101. Alternatively, people can provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

The Conway family issued the following statement: “We the family of Gerard Conway have been left distressed, broken and devastated by the disappearance of our son, brother and father. It has been a very long 10 years without Gerard. We miss him dearly and not a day goes by that we do not think about him.

"It is hard to put into words how we have coped over the past 10 years as we fear something untoward may have happened to Gerard.

"We are unable to gain closure as we have no answers and too many questions as to what might have happened to Gerard. Until we find Gerard or recover his remains, it is simply impossible for us to properly commence the grieving process.

"Throughout the years we've heard many reports about what happened to Gerard, unfortunately none of these reports have led the police to the whereabouts of Gerard.

"We feel that somebody must know what happened to Gerard, and where he is. We urge whoever it is to please, please come forward with that vital information that may help the police with their investigations to help solve Gerard's disappearance. We appreciate it may seem like a long time but if there is anything however apparently insignificant, anything that appeared in any way suspicious, we need to hear from you.”