Thirty-nine years after Antoinette Smith attended a David Bowie concert at Slane Castle and never returned home, her daughter Lisa continues to seek answers and accountability for what she describes as a flawed investigation.
Antoinette Smith, 27, was last seen on July 11, 1987, after the concert. She had gone out with a friend, Marie Cunningham, and the two had later met two men at a nightclub. After parting ways with Cunningham, Smith was last seen walking toward O’Connell Bridge in Dublin around 2:30 a.m. She was carrying a holdall that has never been recovered. Her disappearance became one of Ireland's most prolonged murder investigations.
Smith's body was discovered on Easter Sunday, April 3, 1988, by a family picnicking in the Dublin mountains. Her remains were found in a shallow trench, badly decomposed and with plastic bags secured by rope over her head. The state pathologist concluded she likely died of asphyxiation.
Lisa Smith, who was seven years old when her mother disappeared, has spoken about the perceived indifference and missteps by investigators. She recounted being told of her mother's death by a garda at the age of eight, without an adult present, using the words, “We’ve got good news and we’ve got bad news. The good news is we found your mammy. The bad news is she’s dead.” Lisa also expressed anger over a photograph taken at her mother's funeral that showed her staring into the open grave.
Antoinette Smith was a young mother of two, living in Dublin. She and her husband had separated amicably earlier in 1987, and he was minding their daughters, Lisa, then seven, and Rachel, four, while Antoinette had a rare night out. She had alopecia and wore a wig, a detail Lisa mentioned to emphasize her mother's appearance and vitality. Antoinette was found wearing a David Bowie T-shirt, and a spare house key belonging to Marie Cunningham was recovered near her body.
Lisa Smith has detailed numerous perceived failures in the investigation. She stated that when her father, Carl Smith, initially reported Antoinette missing, he was told by gardaí to return the next day with a photograph before a file would be opened. Suspicion was initially cast on Carl, and the theory that Antoinette had run off with another man was also reportedly floated by investigators. The Garda murder squad, the Investigation Unit, was disbanded the same month Antoinette's body was found, which Lisa believes scattered responsibility and hindered the case.
Concerns have also been raised about potential evidence. The family was told that vital DNA evidence could not be recovered after nine months exposed to the elements. Lisa has stated that other evidence was lost over the years and that requests to retest surviving evidence, such as the rope found with the body, using modern DNA techniques have been ignored.
No suspect has ever been formally charged in connection with Antoinette Smith's murder. Two men Antoinette and Marie Cunningham met at a nightclub were interviewed and cleared. Other leads, including one involving a man who had attended the Bowie concert and another report of suspicious activity in the Dublin mountains, were pursued but did not yield results.
The case was reopened by the cold case unit in 2007 at the request of Lisa and her sister Rachel. The family learned recently that Antoinette had been attacked three weeks prior to her murder while walking alone in Phoenix Park, an incident they asked if gardaí had considered as connected to her death, without success.
Lisa Smith continues to advocate for answers, emphasizing that her mother was more than a tragic headline. She highlighted that eight women had been violently killed in the Republic of Ireland in the current year, a trend she feels has led to public desensitization to such violence.
An Garda Síochána stated that they continue to engage with and offer support to the Smith family through a designated family liaison officer, and that any ongoing issues raised can be addressed within this support structure. Information is still being sought, and anyone with details is asked to contact the incident room at Bray Garda Station.