Ireland Ireland - Jon Jonsson, 41 (visitor from Iceland), Whitehall, Dublin, 9 Feb 2019

[StillDiggin]

Gardai fear missing man was killed before being dumped in Dublin park

More than 270 lines of enquiry have been pursued during the course of the investigation, and numerous statements have been taken

www.dublinlive.ie

 

[Eli9]

Gardai fear missing man was killed before being dumped in Dublin park

More than 270 lines of enquiry have been pursued during the course of the investigation, and numerous statements have been taken

www.dublinlive.ie

The Letters -

“There was enough information for a search to be commenced,” a source said. It’s understood one typed letter was sent anonymously to Ballymun Garda Station – the base of the missing person’s investigation that is hunting for Mr Jonsson – while another was delivered to a priest in the Dublin area.

Although the information was vague, there was enough to persuade detectives that there was a possibility the remains of Mr Jonsson, 41, were in the park. The search began today and is set to continue tomorrow.

It’s understood the search is focusing on two areas of the park, also known as Santry Demesne. One is a heavily wooded area, while the other is a deep lake in the park – which means officers believe his remains have either been hidden in a shallow grave or in the water.

 

[StillDiggin]

Specialist garda begin to dig Dublin park for remains of missing man

Officers now suspect Jon was killed on the day he vanished in the city five years ago – after a meeting he’d organised went wrong

www.dublinlive.ie

 

[sundaaaay]

Good to see this case back in the news...

I still think the most plausible scenario to his disappearance is related to the financial loss or potential unknown gain he made the night before, in high stake cash poker games and the people he met during that period.

Travelling from Iceland to Ireland to play poker implies he took the game seriously and the fact he gambled so much away (in relation to his income, as he is a taxi driver) on the first night, gives an impression of a high appetite towards risk. So far, money suggests the only potential motive in my opinion.

It is important to remember that Jon has no connection to Ireland and had only just arrived, so he has no enemies with a motive other than the people he has met the night before and is unfamiliar with the surroundings. This is why I suspect there is a key missing piece of information - most likely a nearby address written on a piece of paper, as he was not carrying his phone and therefore could not access maps. He has possibly decided to walk to a nearby address or get a taxi to it.

I also suspect the monetary values in question of have been vastly underestimated. He has either lost an amount he cannot pay back and has been coerced into something the following day. Another possibility is he has actually won a large amount of cash which he has agreed to collect the following day at a location, but has been duped.

 

[LemonMint]

Search for missing man ends as gardai say no trace found despite cadaver alert

Gardai have this morning confirmed that searches of the Santry Demesne concluded and no further evidence was yielded in the search for Mr Jonsson, who vanished from the Whitehall area of Dublin on February 9, 2019.

www.irishmirror.ie

 

[StillDiggin]

Where is Jón: Series probes case of missing Icelandic man

A true crime series from RTÉ and RÚV in Iceland on the unexplained disappearance of Jón Jónsson, an Icelandic man who came to play at the 2019 Dublin Poker Festival and vanished within 24 hours of arriving in the city.

www.rte.ie

 

[chimpface]

Listening now. There's a lot more detail than the obvious scant tidbits in the papers.

After episode 2 I'm firmly in the camp that he had problems and harmed himself.

Episode 3 mentions "alarming details" in his disappearance but we'll see I guess.

Intrigueing case either way.

 

[saztina]

Listening now. There's a lot more detail than the obvious scant tidbits in the papers.

After episode 2 I'm firmly in the camp that he had problems and harmed himself.

Episode 3 mentions "alarming details" in his disappearance but we'll see I guess.

Intrigueing case either way.

I agree, after listening I think he probably took his own life. I’m from the area though, I can’t understand how his body wouldn’t have been found. I also don’t think he would’ve travelled too far, he wasn’t familiar with Dublin and there has been no further sightings of him.

 

[chimpface]

Listening now. There's a lot more detail than the obvious scant tidbits in the papers.

After episode 2 I'm firmly in the camp that he had problems and harmed himself.

Episode 3 mentions "alarming details" in his disappearance but we'll see I guess.

Intrigueing case either way.

Drinking problems and the gambling (and losses) are what stick out for me, both massive risks for self-harm unfortunately. I haven't been to Dublin for years so can't picture where it is, but it only takes a few seconds for someone to go missing.

 

[sundaaaay]

Great podcast, thanks for sharing! This definitely paints a better picture than the rare articles about this case. I think the fact he is a big man (as opposed to a small girl), created a scenario with the police thought well he looks like he can probably defend himself.

It seems gambling was a major part of his life and was in debt, but his financial situation was about to improve. It also seems he was stressed in his relationship and maybe wanted some time alone, to play poker without any distractions.
Often in the podcast it is mentioned that he keeps things to himself which is significant and also that he left the hotel immediately after his partner arrives. It does seem that maybe Jon just couldn't face reality and just walked away from it all. But if so, did he just want to go for a walk and remove himself from the situation temporarily or indefinitely?

Entering a taxi has to be the most plausible scenario, the driver must have been foreign and not have great english, so might not have seen the local news about the case. Even if he got as taxi to the sea, it's not exactly easy to enter the water unnoticed. He has no phone, but would be somewhat aware of the geographical location of the coast from the plane landing in Dublin, it would be interesting to know if he had a window seat. The most likely places a taxi driver would recommend would probably be Santry woods, Bull Island/St Annes park, Howth, Malahide.

 

[dotr]

• 8 Mar 2025
• Family of man missing in Dublin want case upgraded to murder investigation
• 
• ''THE family of missing Jón Jónsson have called for the investigation into the Icelandic poker player's disappearance to be upgraded to a murder investigation.
  The 41-year-old was last seen in Whitehall, north of Dublin city, at around 11am on February 9, 2019, with CCTV footage showing the taxi driver leaving the Bonnington Hotel.''
• Following joint podcast series from RTE and Icelandic broadcaster RÚV called Where is Jón?, new information in the six-year-long missing persons investigation has come to light.
  ''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.
  Mr 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’.

 

[sundaaaay]

There's so little information on this case. A criminal gang connection would make a lot more sense if he had been in Dublin for more than one day, but he didn't know anyone apart from speaking to a few people the night before. I see his family want to search Santry Demense again, but it seems an unlikely place to hide a body, its a busy suburban park.

My guess is this is a case of suicide and that he entered a taxi and headed somewhere he is familiar with from his itinerary he planned for the days ahead in Dublin, because he doesn't have his phone it was based on his memory. Likely in water, as no body has been found.

I'm open minded that it could have some form of criminality, but I don't see much of a motive.

 

[tarabull]

Jón Jónsson Podcast Uncovers Fresh Leads in Search for Missing Poker Player

Podcast on Jón Jónsson's 2019 disappearance sparks new leads, prompting fresh searches by Irish police in Dublin.

www.casino.org