Search for Cork murder weapon

GARDAÍ IN west Cork investigating the murder of a 42-year-old man whose body was dumped in the river Bandon were yesterday searching for a weapon they believe was used to stab the victim several times.

Gardaí formally upgraded their inquiry into the death of John Forrester to a murder inquiry yesterday after a postmortem by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster.

Mr Forrester’s body was the second to be taken from the river in recent days, following the recovery of the body of 27-year-old Jonathan Duke. Two people have been charged with Mr Duke’s murder.

Although gardaí did not release the results of Dr Bolster’s postmortem on Mr Forrester’s body, it is understood he suffered extensive stab wounds to the neck and head as well as blunt force trauma injuries.

Mr Forrester was found in the river with his hands and feet tied with electric cable but it is understood the postmortem was not conclusive as to whether he was dead before he was thrown in. Further tests are to be conducted on samples taken at the autopsy.

Gardaí from the technical bureau in Dublin arrived in Bandon on Monday. Yesterday they continued with a forensic examination of an upstairs flat near Bandon Bridge where they believe Mr Forrester was attacked.

Gardaí believe Mr Forrester may have been beaten with a heavy piece of timber such as the leg of a chair or a baseball bat before he was stabbed. Forensic experts were yesterday examining some items of broken furniture found in the upstairs flat.

Officers also carried out a search of the flat for any electric cabling which would match that used to tie Mr Forrester’s feet and hands. They also searched an area around the house for a sharp implement or weapon which could have been used to inflict the stab wounds on Mr Forrester.

Local officers also continued with door-to-door inquiries and studying CCTV footage from commercial premises in the town as they tried to piece together Mr Forrester’s movements on Saturday, when they believe that he was killed.

The last confirmed sighting of him alive was at about 7.30pm on Saturday. Supt Eddie MacEoin, who is leading the investigation, has appealed to anyone who may have seen him after this time or who has any other information that might assist in the investigation to contact Bandon Garda station at 023-8852200.

Gardaí in Bandon were also in contact with officials at the British embassy in Dublin to try to make contact with Mr Forrester’s relatives in Britain.

A native of Blackpool in Lancashire, Mr Forrester had been living in Ireland since 2007 and in Bandon for the past two years.

Mr Forrester’s disappearance was discovered by gardaí in the course of their investigation into the murder of Mr Duke, from Deerpark on the western side of the town.

Funeral arrangements for Mr Duke are expected to be finalised today. He is survived by his mother, Michelle, nine-year-old daughter Angel and sisters, Cindy, Nicole and Shannon.