Gardaí investigating last week's disappearance of a south Donegal mother of four, Ms Dolores McCrea, yesterday appealed for witnesses to a fire in which human remains were discovered on Thursday.
They have also appealed for anyone to come forward who saw or has knowledge of a silver or grey Volkswagen Golf-type vehicle travelling on the Ballybulgan road, where 35-year-old Ms McCrea was last seen.
Speaking at the family home of Mr Gary McCrea and his estranged wife, Dolores, yesterday, Chief Supt Noel White said gardaí wanted to talk to people who had travelled the small lane on January 20th between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.
He also appealed for information in relation to a grey or silver coloured car that was seen on the road between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. last Tuesday evening.
"That car travelled in the direction of Bridgetown Laghey. The last reported sighting of Dolores McCrea was when she was seen getting into that car at approximately 7.30 p.m."
When asked who the last reported person was to see Ms McCrea, Supt White said: "We have a reported sighting here in Ballybulgan. I am not at liberty to say at this time who was the last person to see her."
When questioned on whether DNA samples had been taken from family members of Ms McCrea for comparison with the skeletal remains found at the scene, he said: "You can understand in the circumstances where we have a reported missing person that all of those avenues are being explored."
When asked if he was confident that an identification of the remains would be made, Supt White said he was "hopeful" and confirmed that it could be up to six weeks before such an identification was made.
All forensic and technical examination of the fire scene had been completed, Supt White said, but the search for Ms McCrea was still ongoing.