Kyran Durnin was reported missing from his home in Co Louth, at the end of August, but gardaí have since said that he was now presumed to be dead and have opened a murder investigation.
Has the murder investigation run into serious difficulties?
The biggest difficulty so far is the lack of information coming from people who gardaí are convinced can tell them what happened to Kyran, who if alive would be eight years old today. Once a hidden serious crime is exposed, there is usually a blaze of publicity. And when that happens, gardaí always hope someone with information will effectively be overwhelmed and come forward. But in this case, that has not happened. Gardaí also have no remains and no crime scene.
So what do the gardaí know so far about what happened?
We know Kyran’s family – his mother, Dayla (24), also has two younger children – lived in a house at Emer Terrace, Dundalk, until May. However, the last confirmed sighting of Kyran was in May-June 2022, when he last attended St Nicholas’s Monastery National School in Dundalk. It appears the family were planning to relocate to Northern Ireland, so when Kyran did not return to the school the following September, no immediate concerns arose. Earlier this year, staff from Tusla, the child and welfare agency, met members of the Durnin family, as part of ongoing engagement. However, while at least one child was at that meeting, Kyran was not present.
[ Kyran Durnin case: Tusla review completed but will not be publishedOpens in new window ]
What happened then?
Nothing happened immediately. But on August 29th, Tusla went to the Garda and reported it had serious concerns for Kyran’s welfare. It did so after making more checks about the boy and not being able to see him. The next day, August 30th, a family member went to the Garda and reported Kyran and his mother missing, but claiming they had been in Louth only the day before. Gardaí immediately started a missing person inquiry. The Garda located Kyran’s mother in the UK. On October 16th, gardaí said they could find no evidence Kyran was alive. As a result, they upgraded the investigation into Kyran to a murder inquiry.
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But who would want to kill Kyran and why?
While the case is officially a murder investigation, it is not absolutely certain Kyran was killed. But by upgrading the inquiry to a murder investigation, gardaí can get more resources and more powers, such as to obtain search warrants.
[ Kyran Durnin was ‘lost in the system’, says Minister for Education Norma FoleyOpens in new window ]
That sounds like even the basics are not known?
Gardaí cannot be sure Kyran was murdered and if he is dead – as gardaí strongly suspect – it is not clear when he died or how. A search was carried out at the Emer Terrace property the week before last. That involved the rear garden and adjoining waste ground being excavated. However, no remains were found.
So what happens now?
In short, likely a slow and painstaking investigation, unless some vital witness comes forward. Gardaí have received a huge amount of information from the public, including reported sightings of Kyran. All of those leads are being followed up. Tusla has also carried out a review of its engagement with the family and that was being studied this weekend. Further searches are also being considered. The movements, telephone records and social media and messaging app records of “people of interest” in the case are also being reviewed. Gardaí are still hopeful someone who knows what happened will come forward and be more open than up to now.