The location where Trevor Deely went missing

This is the location where Trevor Deely went missing.

It is located outside 1-2 Haddington Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin.

In the early hours of December 8, 2000, a CCTV camera captured Deely walking past this building. This was the last time he was seen alive. Since then, there has been no trace of the 22-year-old.

Background

Deely was employed as an IT worker at the Bank of Ireland Asset Management department.

On the night of December 7, Deely attended a staff Christmas party at Buck Whaley's nightclub.

At 3:20 a.m., he left the nightclub alone and walked in the rain to his workplace on Wilton Terrace, just around the corner.

That night, he had to walk 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) back to his apartment at the Renoir complex on Serpentine Avenue, as taxi drivers were striking over government plans to deregulate the industry.

Dublin was experiencing stormy conditions at the time, with heavy rain and strong, gusty winds. Investigators believe Deely stopped by his workplace to pick up an umbrella, as the office was along his route home.

"Man in Black"

When he reached the entrance, he walked by a man who had been standing outside the building for roughly 30 minutes.

As Deely passed the man, there was no visible sign that they acknowledged each other.

The timestamps in the footage indicate that Deely stopped somewhere between the main entrance and the gate for approximately 45 seconds, for reasons that remain unknown.

The man remained standing for a short time before turning around and walking to the gate. Deely arrived there shortly afterward.

CCTV footage showed that the pair talked for approximately 20 seconds. The nature of their conversation remains unknown.

The man stood beside Deely as he tried to open the gate. Following their conversation, he stood motionless with his head down.

After Deely went inside, the person of interest stayed in the same spot. It is unclear how long he remained, as the released CCTV footage cuts off 11 seconds later.

The individual, often referred to as the "Man in Black" due to his dark clothing, has yet to be identified.

Workplace

Inside the building, Deely drank a cup of coffee, checked his email, and talked to a colleague working the night shift.

Gardaí have not said whether he mentioned the interaction with the "Man in Black" to his coworker.

Thirty minutes later, at 4:03 a.m., he grabbed an umbrella and left, heading east along Wilton Terrace.

Three minutes into his journey, he called his friend Glen Cullen in Naas.

Cullen was asleep at the time, and the call went to voicemail. In the message, Deely said everything was good and that he would talk to him the following morning.

His phone, a Nokia 1610, has never been found.

Route

About 500 meters up Wilton Terrace, Deely crossed the Baggot Street Bridge and turned left onto Haddington Road.

There, a security camera above an ATM captured him walking past with an umbrella at 4:14 a.m.

This area marked his final confirmed whereabouts.

Second man

The CCTV footage from Haddington Road showed a man approximately 22 seconds after Deely walked past the camera. This individual was about 10 to 20 meters behind him, walking in the same direction.

Over the years, there was speculation that this person was following him from afar. It was also widely suspected that he was the same "Man in Black" who had been standing outside Deely's workplace an estimated 30 to 60 minutes prior.

In December 2023, it was reported that investigators had enhanced the security footage and identified the individual in the CCTV image.

The man in question had provided police with a statement during the early stages of the investigation. Authorities are now satisfied that this individual had nothing to do with Deely's disappearance.

Detectives do not believe he was the same dark-clothed man who briefly spoke with Deely outside the bank.

That individual has yet to come forward.

Aftermath and investigation

Deely was officially reported missing on Monday, December 11, after he failed to show up for work. Authorities launched an investigation and began retracing his final steps.

The canal near Haddington Road was searched, but nothing of note was found.

Deely's movements after he passed the CCTV camera on Haddington Road remain unknown.

It should have taken him 20 to 30 minutes to reach his apartment.

The route he chose was slightly longer than the quickest route home. However, Deely was a smoker, and there was reportedly a 24-hour shop on Bath Avenue, near the eastern end of Haddington Road.

Deely went missing four days before U.S. President Bill Clinton was due to arrive in Ireland. Shortly before the visit, all large bins were cleared for security purposes.

Because the search for Deely did not begin until days later, it is feared that potential evidence may have been removed during the clean-up.

The area around the city centre was heavily inspected by the Gardaí and Secret Service.

Investigators have frequently cited this massive security operation in relation to the case, noting that the intense sweeps would have made it difficult for a body to remain hidden in the city centre.

Deely's umbrella and phone were never recovered, and searches of the River Dodder failed to turn up anything of note.

He remains a missing person.