Search of lands for couple missing since 2015

William and Anna had been together since 2014 and previously lived in the Cavan area.

Gardaí investigating the disappearance and murder of William 'Willie' Maughan and Anastasija Varslavane, how previously lived in the Cavan area, have commenced a search of open lands in north County Dublin.

The search is being carried out by the Garda investigation team supported by the Meath Divisional search team and the Garda Technical Bureau.

The area of land, for which a Temporary Restricted Air Space order has been put in place by the Irish Aviation Authority, will be searched and subject to excavation, technical and forensic examinations over the coming days.

The investigation is being carried out by the Serious Crime Unit, Meath Division and is led by a Senior Investigation Officer based out of an incident room at Ashbourne Garda Station.

An Garda Síochána have been and continue to keep the family fully updated in relation to this investigation and they have been fully appraised of all of the latest developments, they say.

Gardaí meanwhile continue to appeal to anyone with information in relation to the disappearance and murder of William (34) and his pregnant Latvian girlfriend Anna (21) to speak with investigating Gardai.

William and Anna had been together since 2014 and lived in a caravan in Gormanston, Co. Meath.

William had decided to return to his family home in Tallaght with Anna. His mother and father, Helen and Joe, were making arrangements for their return. However, on the morning of Tuesday, April 14, 2015, William is reported to have gone to Balbriggan followed shortly afterwards by Anastasija. They are said to have run some errands and made contact with William’s mother Helen to arrange for her to travel from Tallaght to Gormanston to collect them and their belongings.

William spoke to his mother at about 2.30pm and asked her to make her way out to Gormanston to collect them. William and Anna got a taxi together from Balbriggan to Gormanston just shortly after 2.30pm. But when Helen arrived in Gormanston just before 3pm she could not locate William.

She drove to Stamullen to look for him but didn’t find him.

She then returned to Gormanston and called his mobile phone but it went straight to message minder.

William and Anna never showed up and Helen reported both as missing.

An extensive investigation was launched with several searches and enquiries carried out to date.

The case was upgraded to a murder investigation following a review of the case in September 2016.

A total of seven persons have been previously arrested in connection with the disappearance and murder of William and Anna.

Those investigations are still “ongoing”.

One line of enquiry proved by Gardaí is that prominent gangland figure Cornelius Price may have ordered the deaths of William, Anna, and their unborn child.

Price (41) died in Wales in 2023 from a brain injury. He at all times denied any involvement in the couple's disappearance.

Gardaí say, given the passage of time since their disappearance, that circumstances may have changed and people may now be in a position to either speak to investigating Gardaí or to provide information now that they may not have been able to provide before.

An Garda Síochána appeals to anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant they might believe it to be, to contact Ashbourne Garda Station on 01 8010600 or any Garda station.

Anyone who wishes to provide information confidentially should contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.

Any information will be treated with the strictest confidence, say Gardaí.