‘Active’ Garda probe latest in search for missing Icelandic man 7 years after mystery Dublin vanishing amid family pain

GARDAI have renewed their appeal for a missing Icelandic poker player who vanished seven years ago after a Dublin Poker Festival.

Jón Jónsson was last seen in Whitehall, north of Dublin city, at around 11am on February 9, 2019.

His disappearance came as he was visiting Ireland to attend the Dublin Poker Festival with his partner, Kristiana Guðjónsdóttir.

Jónsson was seen leaving the Bonnington Hotel on Swords Road and CCTV footage later recorded him walking past the entrance to Highfield Hospital, heading towards Collins Avenue Junction.

The Icelandic national has not been seen or heard from since.

His whereabouts remains unknown to this day despite extensive Garda searches, public appeals and investigative work.

Gardai have confirmed they are still treating the incident as an “active missing person investigation” on the seventh anniversary of his disappearance.

A Garda spokesperson said that they are again appealing to the public for information that might help locate him or “provide clarity on his disappearance”.

They said: “Gardai are renewing their appeal to the public for assistance on the 7th anniversary of the disappearance of Jón Jónsson, an Icelandic national who went missing on 9th February 2019.”

“Even the smallest piece of information — no matter how insignificant it may seem — could assist the investigation.

“We are especially appealing to anyone who was in the Whitehall, Santry, or Collins Avenue areas on the morning of 9th February 2019, or who may have spoken with or seen Jón around that time.”

“An Garda Síochána continues to support Jón’s family, who have endured immense distress and uncertainty over the past seven years. We remain dedicated to finding answers for them.”

NEW INFORMATION

The spokesperson said anyone with information should contact Ballymun Garda station on 0166644000, or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.

The investigation into Jónsson’s disappearance gripped the nation, particularly after a joint podcast series from RTE and Icelandic broadcaster RUV called Where is Jón?.

Following the series, new information came to light in the hunt to find out what happened to the Icelander.

Two separate sources independently reached out to members of the Jónsson family in 2020 to suggest he had been killed by someone with criminal ties.

Jónsson’s stepbrother Gunnar Dan Wiium, an addiction counsellor, received a phone call from someone who said he was murdered by an individual identified as ‘Alex’.

For legal reasons, the suspect’s identity cannot be made public.

Wiium then called a friend who is an ex-addict with links to the criminal underworld in Iceland and was told ‘Alex’ had been living in Iceland and owed money to the Albanian mafia.

Jónsson’s sister, Anna Hildur Jónsdóttir, also received the same information from another source close to ‘Alex’.

No connection has been found between the two sources who divulged the same information regarding Mr Jónsson’s fate.