Ornaith Murphy, a 55-year-old resident of Oakland, California, was last seen on December 16, 2001, in a case that has puzzled investigators for years. A native of Ireland, Murphy was an experienced sailor and an occasional contributor to sailing magazines. Her disappearance is intertwined with that of her estranged husband, Kieran Murphy, who went missing a day earlier on December 15, 2001. At the time of their disappearances, the couple was in the process of a divorce.
Murphy was the owner of a 39-foot fiberglass sailboat named the Sola III, which was normally docked at the Oakland Marina in the Jack London Square area. Surveillance footage captured the Sola III leaving the marina at 8:36 p.m. on December 15, 2001. The boat, which has never been located, reportedly had about a week's worth of food on board but lacked essential safety and foul-weather gear, making it ill-equipped for a long voyage. On the day of her disappearance, Ornaith Murphy had a phone conversation with her niece from her boat, stating she was at a marina in Berkeley, but declined an invitation for breakfast. This was the last known contact with her.
Ornaith Murphy was 5'3" and weighed around 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. She suffered from arthritis and used a cane to walk, and had previously broken both of her legs in a 1992 car accident, which may be visible on an X-ray. She was reportedly depressed at the time of her disappearance. Kieran and Ornaith Murphy, who had moved to the United States from Ireland in the late 1960s, had two sons together. The couple had accumulated wealth through real estate investments. Theories surrounding their disappearance vary, with some speculating that Ornaith may have harmed Kieran before taking her own life, though no evidence has surfaced to support this. Their sons have stated that it would be uncharacteristic of their parents to leave without any communication. The case remains unsolved, and both Ornaith and Kieran Murphy, along with the Sola III, are still missing.Last Seen: Dec 16, 2001
