The girl who vanished without a trace: Disappearance of Irish teenager in Spain remains a mystery 10 years on

Amy Fitzpatrick, 15, disappeared from Riviera del Sol in Mijas Costa, near Fuengirola, on New Year’s Day in 2008 - and no trace of her has ever been found

The mysterious case of a teenage girl who vanished in Spain continues to dumbfound the whole of Ireland almost a decade on.

Indeed, Amy Fitzpatrick's sudden disappearance is one of the most baffling missing persons cases in Irish history.


The blue-eyed 15-year-old teen went missing from Riviera del Sol in Mijas Costa, near Fuengirola, on New Year’s Day in 2008.

Amy was not officially reported missing until January 3 - and no trace of the teenager has ever been found.

DublinLive reports that her best friend Ashley Rose and her mother Debbie said the teen detested stepfather Dave Mahon - the man would later go on to kill her only brother in May 2013.

The unsolved mystery surrounding Amy's disappearance loomed large over his trial - when he was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter.

This is what we know about the case so far

When was she last seen?

Amy was last seen leaving her friend Ashley Rose's house.

The pretty teen was living with her late brother Dean, mum Audrey Fitzpatrick and stepfather Dave Mahon at the time.

Could Amy have run away?

Spanish police don't believe she ran away as she had no money and apart from Ashley Rose and a few others, had no other friends in Spain.

Was Amy spotted after she set out from home?

Unconfirmed reports claimed that Spanish police believe Amy was spotted in a local bar an hour and a half after her last known sighting.

It was New Year’s Day and the bars would have been packed - and it's possible Amy didn't want to go home so decided to go to one of them.

She would have been allowed in as, when it comes to age limits, Spanish bars are more lenient and Amy looked older than her 15 years.

Did she meet someone who abducted her?

Amy's friend remains adamant she had her mobile phone with her

Amy's best friend Ashley Rose and her mother Debbie say Amy ALWAYS carried her phone with her - and even had it on the night of her disappaerance.

But incredibly, after she disappeared it was found during a search of the apartment she shared with her mum Audrey and her stepdad Dave Mahon.

Ashley revealed: “She had an Irish phone which she kept all her contacts on [because her other Spanish phone was smashed].

“She had that phone with her [on the night she disappeared] because she used our house phone to call her mum and she got the number off that phone. I saw her do it.”

It has never been established how the phone got back to the property if Amy was abducted on her way home that night.


Amy hated Dave Mahon

Amy's best friend Ashley Rose and her mother Debbie said the teen detested Dave Mahon, the man would later go on to kill her only brother in May 2013.

Debbie said: “What were Amy’s words? ‘He makes my skin crawl’, they were Amy’s words about Dave.”

Ashley said: “She was scared of him and you could tell.

“Now when I look back, there’s so many signs, but when you’re 12 or 13 you don’t see those signs.”

Ashley added she knew the next day something terrible had happened to Amy because her pal would contact her daily without fail.

What are Spanish police doing about the case?

Spanish police maintain they have not closed the teenager’s file and they will actively pursue any new leads.

But unfortunately, because of the transient nature of life on the Costa del Sol, many of those who lived in the area at the time - and who might have been able to help detectives with their enquiries - have since moved away.

On the ground, there is little evidence of an active investigation.

And on the lane where Amy supposedly disappeared, there isn’t even a plaque or sign to inform passers-by a young Irish girl walked this way and then vanished without trace.

Amy Fitzpatrick disappeared on 1 January 2008 but she was not officially reported missing until January 3. No trace of the teenager has ever been found.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/mysterious-case-pretty-teenage-girl-9710648