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Sunday World
29-06-2025
- Sunday World
Missing poker player lost €4k within hours of his arrival in Dublin, gardaí say
Investigation remains open after officers visit Iceland to interview people who knew the father of four Gardaí investigating the disappearance of Icelandic poker player Jon Jonsson 'haven't ruled anything out', including murder, suicide or an accident, according to the senior officer leading the probe. Mr Jonsson, a taxi driver, went missing on February 9, 2019, while attending the Dublin Poker Festival at the Regency Hotel (now renamed the Bonnington Hotel) on the northside of the city. Detective Superintendent Alan Brady led a delegation of five members of An Garda Síochána to the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik, last week to interview 46 people who knew the father of four. Among those interviewed were convicted criminals, as well as the missing man's family, friends and associates in the poker world. Gambling is illegal in Iceland, and Mr Jonsson was heavily involved in the scene in his homeland. Det Supt Brady, who is attached to Ballymun garda station, said: 'We formally interviewed 46 people. We will now go home and assess all the information we received, which was worthwhile for the investigation. 'We interviewed Jon's friends, family members and poker players. We interviewed some convicted criminals who knew him. There has been a lot of rumour about what happened to Jon in Dublin — that his death was linked to the poker community here. Even rumours of a hitman. Gardaí say they haven't ruled anything out 'We believe that whatever happened to Jon, happened in Ireland. But we also think that the answers to what happened to him lie among the Icelandic community.' The senior officer said the investigation remains open and has not been upgraded to homicide. 'We haven't ruled anything out. We're still looking at everything from murder, to suicide or an accident of some kind,' he added. Mr Jonsson's fiancee Kristjana Gudjonsdottir had arrived in Dublin just a few hours before he disappeared, having missed the first day of the poker tournament. Gardaí searched Santry Demesne last year after receiving anonymous letters regarding Jon Jonsson. Photo: Frank McGrath He left the hotel on foot at about 11am and was seen on camera by CCTV 200 metres away. Beyond that image, no trace of him has ever been uncovered, despite several intensive searches and gardaí following up more than 350 lines of enquiry. The 41-year-old did lose some money while playing poker in Dublin, but not a significant amount, Det Supt Brady said. 'Jon was playing poker in games where the buy-in was about €500. We believe he lost between €3,000 and €4,000. We've also established that the money he lost was sent over within a few hours from people in the poker scene in Iceland,' he said. 'It has been suggested to us by people that he could have come to some harm by people involved in criminality. We've followed up every avenue and there are lots of theories.' Gardaí also spoke to Mr Jonsson's family in Reykjavik. The family had previously criticised aspects of the garda investigation. 'We had meetings with some members of the family and also interviewed some of them. We built bridges. They have gone through huge heartbreak for the past six years. No family should have to go through that. We are here to try and get answers for them,' Det Supt Brady said. 'It is a joint investigation and the co-operation has been top class' 'Jon was a nice guy. He wouldn't harm a fly. He was a very big man but not an aggressive man. He was not an angry person. It doesn't appear feasible to us that he would have gotten into a fight.' Det Supt Brady praised the assistance gardaí received from the Icelandic police. 'It is a joint investigation and the co-operation has been top class. We sent a list to the Icelandic police investigators of the people we wanted to speak with, and we carried out 46 formal interviews out of the 58 people we identified,' he said. Missing Icelandic man Jon Jonsson News in 90 Seconds - June 28th The Sunday Independent previously reported about how an imprisoned criminal in Iceland played an 'instrumental' role in communicating a dramatic version of events to Icelandic police — which, it was claimed, culminated in the murder of the taxi driver. In 2020, police in Iceland were told that Mr Jonsson was killed 'by accident' by a fellow countryman, after a falling out over squandered gambling money. His family, meanwhile, believe he may have been murdered by a paid hitman in a case of mistaken identity. It is being examined whether this potential hitman intended to target a different Icelandic man who was visiting Ireland at the time. In April, gardaí in Dublin carried out four new searches with cadaver dogs. This followed the receipt of new information, after RTÉ aired a podcast series on Mr Jonsson's disappearance. 'I would still appeal to anyone who attended that poker tournament, or with any information, to come forward to gardaí or the Icelandic police,' Det Supt Brady said.
Irish Independent
29-06-2025
- Irish Independent
Missing Icelandic poker player Jon Jonsson lost €4,000 within hours of his arrival in Dublin, gardaí say
Mr Jonsson, a taxi driver, went missing on February 9, 2019, while attending the Dublin Poker Festival at the Regency Hotel (now renamed the Bonnington Hotel) on the northside of the city. Detective Superintendent Alan Brady led a delegation of five members of An Garda Síochána to the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik, last week to interview 46 people who knew the father of four. Among those interviewed were convicted criminals, as well as the missing man's family, friends and associates in the poker world. Gambling is illegal in Iceland, and Mr Jonsson was heavily involved in the scene in his homeland. Det Supt Brady, who is attached to Ballymun garda station, said: 'We formally interviewed 46 people. We will now go home and assess all the information we received, which was worthwhile for the investigation. 'We interviewed Jon's friends, family members and poker players. We interviewed some convicted criminals who knew him. There has been a lot of rumour about what happened to Jon in Dublin — that his death was linked to the poker community here. Even rumours of a hitman. Gardaí say they haven't ruled anything out 'We believe that whatever happened to Jon, happened in Ireland. But we also think that the answers to what happened to him lie among the Icelandic community.' The senior officer said the investigation remains open and has not been upgraded to homicide. 'We haven't ruled anything out. We're still looking at everything from murder, to suicide or an accident of some kind,' he added. Mr Jonsson's fiancee Kristjana Gudjonsdottir had arrived in Dublin just a few hours before he disappeared, having missed the first day of the poker tournament. He left the hotel on foot at about 11am and was seen on camera by CCTV 200 metres away. Beyond that image, no trace of him has ever been uncovered, despite several intensive searches and gardaí following up more than 350 lines of enquiry. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more The 41-year-old did lose some money while playing poker in Dublin, but not a significant amount, Det Supt Brady said. 'Jon was playing poker in games where the buy-in was about €500. We believe he lost between €3,000 and €4,000. We've also established that the money he lost was sent over within a few hours from people in the poker scene in Iceland,' he said. 'It has been suggested to us by people that he could have come to some harm by people involved in criminality. We've followed up every avenue and there are lots of theories.' Gardaí also spoke to Mr Jonsson's family in Reykjavik. The family had previously criticised aspects of the garda investigation. 'We had meetings with some members of the family and also interviewed some of them. We built bridges. They have gone through huge heartbreak for the past six years. No family should have to go through that. We are here to try and get answers for them,' Det Supt Brady said. 'It is a joint investigation and the co-operation has been top class' 'Jon was a nice guy. He wouldn't harm a fly. He was a very big man but not an aggressive man. He was not an angry person. It doesn't appear feasible to us that he would have gotten into a fight.' Det Supt Brady praised the assistance gardaí received from the Icelandic police. 'It is a joint investigation and the co-operation has been top class. We sent a list to the Icelandic police investigators of the people we wanted to speak with, and we carried out 46 formal interviews out of the 58 people we identified,' he said. The Sunday Independent previously reported about how an imprisoned criminal in Iceland played an 'instrumental' role in communicating a dramatic version of events to Icelandic police — which, it was claimed, culminated in the murder of the taxi driver. In 2020, police in Iceland were told that Mr Jonsson was killed 'by accident' by a fellow countryman, after a falling out over squandered gambling money. His family, meanwhile, believe he may have been murdered by a paid hitman in a case of mistaken identity. It is being examined whether this potential hitman intended to target a different Icelandic man who was visiting Ireland at the time. In April, gardaí in Dublin carried out four new searches with cadaver dogs. This followed the receipt of new information, after RTÉ aired a podcast series on Mr Jonsson's disappearance. 'I would still appeal to anyone who attended that poker tournament, or with any information, to come forward to gardaí or the Icelandic police,' Det Supt Brady said.
Sunday World
28-06-2025
- Sunday World
Gardaí receive ‘key information' about disappearance of Icelandic man Jon Jonsson six years ago
A team of five detectives travelled to Iceland on Monday and are due to come back to Ireland today. Garda detectives have interviewed 45 people this week in Iceland in relation to the disappearance of Jon Jonsson. The case has not yet been upgraded to homicide and suicide has not yet been ruled out. A team of five detectives travelled to Iceland on Monday and are due to come back to Ireland today. Sources said the gardaí received 'key information' and are keeping a 'very open mind' about the disappearance of the 41-year-old, who was in Ireland to attend the Dublin Poker Festival when he went missing six years ago. We need to analyse every single detail – the clue to this is in Iceland A large number of females were interviewed as part of the process along with some suspected criminals. 'We need to analyse every single detail in the 45 statements that have been obtained – the clue to this is in Iceland,' a source told the Sunday World. The father of four disappeared after leaving the Bonnington Hotel on the Swords Road in north Dublin on February 9, 2019. Jon Jonsson seen leaving the Bonnington Hotel. Photo: Paul Sheridan News in 90 Seconds - June 28th The investigation is being led by Detective Superintendent Alan Brady of Ballymun garda station who made a public appeal earlier this week for information in the case. 'We came here to interview a large number of people who we think may have some information in relation to where Jon is,' Det Supt Brady said. 'We've also come here to appeal to the Icelandic public for help in finding Jon. 'We believe that whatever happened to Jon did happen to him in Dublin, but the answers to what happened to Jon may lie here amongst the Icelandic community.' Speaking to Icelandic media, Det Supt Brady said gardaí were trying to do everything they can to progress the investigation. No family should have to endure what they've gone through 'Jon's family have been going through heartbreak for the last six-and-a-half years,' he said. 'We're here to try and find answers for them. No family should have to endure what they've gone through.' The investigation into Mr Jonsson's disappearance has been stepped up in recent months. His family believe he may have been murdered by a paid hitman in a case of mistaken identity. One line of investigation is if the hitman intended to target a different Icelandic man visiting Ireland at the time. Gardaí believe there are people who may have knowledge of Mr Jonsson's disappearance who are not comfortable speaking to Icelandic police. They hope they will be more willing to speak to Irish officers. The Irish Independent understands that all 45 interviews conducted by gardaí this week were facilitated by Icelandic police. In April, gardaí in Dublin carried out four new searches with cadaver dogs after people provided information after RTÉ aired a documentary podcast series on Mr Jonsson's disappearance. Mr Jonsson left the hotel on foot at about 11am and was recorded by a security camera 200m away. Beyond those images, no trace of him has ever been uncovered. Since Mr Jonsson disappeared, gardaí have followed more than 350 lines of enquiry.
Sunday World
24-06-2025
- Sunday World
Gardai investigating man who vanished from Dublin hotel arrive in Iceland
The Icelandic man vanished in Dublin more than six years ago Five gardai have arrived in Iceland to conduct interviews in connection with the probe into the disappearance of Jon Jonsson in Dublin six years ago. The Icelandic man vanished from outside the Bonnington Hotel in Whitehall in February 2019. As part of renewed cooperation between Icelandic and Irish authorities, Gardai, assisted by 10 Icelandic police officers, will conduct interviews with 45 people in the coming days, RUV reports. Jón Jónsson went missing in Ireland in 2019 News in 90 Seconds - June 24th The development came after representatives from each police force met with Europol in The Hague last month. Icelandic police are set to assist the Gardai with translation. "We have contacted most of the people on the list that the Irish police sent us, and people have responded very well to it and plan to come here to us and give a report,' Eiríkur Valberg, a police officer at the Central Investigation Department of the Metropolitan Police, said. Valberg said he hopes the interviews will shed new light on the case. "Of course we hope so, but we don't know in advance what will happen, but we wouldn't be putting in these big efforts if we didn't think they could be successful." Jon's disappearance was subject of a podcast series 'Where is Jon?' produced in collaboration with RTE and Icelandic news service RUV. In the final episode, Gardai discussed two anonymous letters they received a year apart, which suggest that Jon is buried in a park approximately 3.5km from where he vanished. A search of the area in February yielded no results, and Gardai have appealed for the author of the letters to come forward. Garda cordon off an area during their search for Jon Jonsson from Iceland, 'During the course of the investigation, the investigation team has received two items of anonymous correspondence, the contents of which have been assessed,' a spokesperson for An Garda Siochana said. 'The Garda investigation team are appealing to the author of those correspondences to make direct contact with them. Any contact will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence. 'Anyone with information in relation to Mr Jonsson's disappearance or who can assist in locating him is asked to contact Ballymun Garda Station on 01 6664400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.' Jon Jonsson, who was 41 at the time of his disappearance, was last seen after leaving the Bonnington Hotel on the Swords Road in Whitehall at approximately 11am on Saturday February 9th 2019. The father-of-four arrived in Ireland the day prior for a poker tournament. He was last seen on CCTV few minutes later walking past the entrance to Highfield Hospital, walking towards Collins Avenue. Described as 6'3' tall, weighing 13 stone 7, he has short brown hair, and when last seen wearing a black jacket, blue t-shirt, black jeans and dark runners.
The Irish Sun
23-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
‘We're here to try and find answers', says detective as gardai investigating Jon Jonsson disappearance travel to Iceland
THE IRISH cops have travelled to Iceland as part of their ongoing probe into the disappearance of an Icelandic man in Dublin six years ago. 2 Jon vanished after leaving the Bonnington Hotel in Dublin six years ago Investigating detectives made a The father of four was reported to have vanished after leaving the Bonnington Hotel on Swords Road in North He left his hotel room without his phone, passport and wallet, although he may have had a large sum of cash with him. Since early March 2019, when READ MORE ON JON JONSSON Five Detective Superintendent Alan Brady revealed they are there for a number of purposes. Talking to "We've also come here to appeal to the Icelandic public for help in finding Jon. Most read in Irish News "We believe that whatever happened to Jon did happen to him in Dublin, but the answers to what happened to Jon may lie here amongst the Icelandic community." He added: "Jon's family have been going through heartbreak for the last six and a half years. We're here to try and find answers for them. No family should have to ensure that they've gone through." RESPONSE 'POSITIVE' Talking to the Iceland Review, Icelandic Detective Eirikur Valberg said: "We've contacted nearly everyone on the list provided by the Irish "People are showing up and are willing to give statements." However, he declined to comment on whether any of the individuals had any connections to the case or Jon himself. The interviews are scheduled to take place this week, with Eirikur hoping that they will shed new light on his disappearance. 'WHERE IS JON?' He added: "Of course, that is our hope—but we don't know in advance what will come of this. Still, we wouldn't be undertaking such extensive efforts if we didn't believe they could yield results." The documentary podcast series 'Where is Jon?' ('Hvar er Jon?') focused on his sudden disappearance, which was collaboratively produced by Ireland's national broadcaster RTE and the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RUV. In the final episode, which aired in March, the two anonymous letters that are being discussed by the investigating teams were revealed. It was pointed out that the letters were delivered to the Gardai one year apart, suggesting that Jon may be buried in a garden. However, the location of the potential site of his burial was not disclosed. 2 Gardai and Icelandic cops hope to gain information during their interviews
