Gardaí investigating the disappearance of a father of eight in Co Laois in 2019 have released two women without charge following their arrest earlier on Monday.
On Monday, two women and a man were arrested in connection with the death of William Delaney (56). The two women have since been released without charge.
The man continues to be held under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939 at Garda stations in the midland and southwestern regions.
Delaney’s death has been treated as a murder since mid-2019, as gardaí received information claiming the victim was tortured and murdered before his remains were dumped in a makeshift grave.
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In November 2025, three people were held and questioned as part of the investigation, before being released without charge.
The arrests of those suspects brought to six the number of people detained for questioning since the investigation into how Delaney vanished was stepped up midway through 2019.
The investigation was hampered at the outset by a delay in the reporting of Delaney’s disappearance.
He vanished in Portlaoise in January 2019, but was not reported missing for another six weeks.
The last confirmed sighting of Delaney, who was originally from Co Tipperary but was living in Portlaoise at the time he disappeared, was on January 31st, 2019. He had been released from a period in psychiatric treatment the day before he disappeared. He had taken time away on his own in the past, meaning his absence did not cause concern initially.
Gardaí are continuing to investigate and have appealed for members of the community to come forward with any information they may have which could assist in the case, saying “people in the community have information and have not yet come forward”.
Gardaí urged anyone with information to contact Portlaoise Garda station on 057 8674100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
