Lisa Dorrian reward fund gets unexpected £50k boost

Twenty-five year old Lisa was last seen in the holiday village of Ballyhalbert on February 28, 2005.

Police and the Dorrian family believe she was murdered although her body has never been found despite extensive searches over a number of years.

The story came to the attention of US-based businessman and reality TV star Barrie Drewitt-Barlow who made the donation through the online Gofundme appeal.

Increasingly desperate to find Lisa, earlier this month the Dorrian family set up the appeal fund in the hope of raising £30,000.

On Wednesday night, Lisa’s sister Joanne Dorrian tweeted: “I’m so happy to be able to tell you that we have been donated £50k from Barrie Drewitt-Barlow for the reward fund to find Lisa.

“Barrie is a true family man who lives for his children We are beyond grateful for Barrie. Thank you Barrie, love from the Dorrians.”

Speaking to Belfast Live, Mr Drewitt-Barlow said: “As a dad who lives for my children, I felt compelled to reach out and offer to help Lisa’s sister Joanne, as I could see all the efforts her family have put into finding Lisa over the last number of years.

“I tried to imagine living in their shoes for a moment and I instantly knew that those were not shoes I would ever want to be in.”

Mr Drewitt-Barlow is best known as one half of the UK’s first gay couple to be co-registered as parents following a surrogate pregnancy in 1999.

The officer leading the investigation is PSNI Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy.

Last month he told a team of television documentary makers that he does not believe Lisa’s murder was pre-planned.

He also remains convinced “that a small number of people hold the key” to Lisa’s disappearance.

The Dorrian family suffered one of a number of disappointments over the years when a major search operation in June 2021, at the Clay Pits in Ballyhalbert, revealed no evidence in relation to Lisa’s disappearance.

At that time, D/Supt Murphy appealed to anyone who was involved in disposing of Lisa’s body to come forward, and added: “Not knowing where Lisa is has tortured her family and caused untold distress”.

On Thursday morning, the appeal fund total had passed £59,000 – almost double the original £30k target when it was launched on April 12.

The Dorrian family can be contacted confidentially at www.lisadorrian.co.uk and the fundraising site is www.gofundme.com