GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING the murder of Raonaid Murray 10 years ago have launched a public appeal to try and identify two people seen near the murder scene about the time the 17-year-old was stabbed to death.
The appeal relating to the two new “persons of interest” has been launched following a “cold case” review by the Garda’s serious crime review team based at Harcourt Square, Dublin.
While the unsolved murder has remained very high-profile, and a number of people have been questioned, nobody has ever been charged. No clear suspect has been identified.
Ms Murray’s body was found by her older sister, Sarah, on a road close to her home at Silchester Crescent, Glenageary, south Co Dublin, in the early hours of Saturday, September 4th, 1999. She had been stabbed repeatedly nearby, and bled to death.
Det Supt John Mulligan of Dún Laoghaire Garda station said the man and woman “of interest” were seen close to the spot where Ms Murray was found dead in a laneway known as the Cut between Silchester Road and Silchester Crescent.
At 12.07am, a man was seen crossing Silchester Road just after the Cut walkway. The man was walking towards Adelaide Road.
It is understood the sighting of these two people has always been part of the investigation. It was one of the recommendations of the cold case review that efforts to locate them should be redoubled – even 10 years after the event.
The man is described as having been in his 20s at the time, with short dark hair cropped at the sides.
He was between 5’10” and 6ft in height, of slight build, fit looking and wearing dark coloured trousers, “not jeans”.
The woman now being sought was in the vicinity of Silchester Park, between 12.20am and 12.30am, walking towards Adelaide Road.
She was between 16 and 23 years, about 5’6” in height, with shoulder-length dark hair, dark trousers and a dark top.
Making a direct appeal, Det Supt Mulligan said: “If you are either of these people, please come forward to me now so that I can eliminate you from my inquiries. Or if you know who this person is, please contact me.”
When asked whether the man or woman were suspected of involvement in the murder, Det Supt Mulligan said they were persons of interest and needed to be eliminated.
He said of the unidentified killer: “I would appeal to that person to come forward. The Murray family have suffered greatly and are still suffering since 1999. I do appreciate that the killer is carrying a burden over that time as well. I ask them to come forward and contact me. They will be treated with dignity and humanity, and we will bring this matter to a conclusion.”
He was speaking at a Garda press conference on the 10th anniversary of the murder.
Det Supt Mulligan said that despite media reports, there was no evidence that Ms Murray had been killed by a woman.
It was not clear whether a woman or man was responsible.
He ruled out any involvement of Kenyan man Farah Swaleh Noor, who was later killed and dismembered by Linda and Charlotte Mulhall. The sisters had claimed that Noor told them he was the killer.
Ms Murray had been socialising with friends in Scott’s Pub in Dún Laoghaire, having finished work as a shop assistant at 9pm on Friday September 3rd, 1999.
She was walking home at about midnight through the Cut when attacked just minutes into Saturday, September 4th.
Det Supt Mulligan said her friends would have been aged 16 to 20 at the time and for many reasons may have felt unable to come forward. “These people are now mature adults and may even be parents. They now know the extraordinary value of the life of any child. I’m appealing to anybody in that position to put aside any reluctance they might feel and contact me at Dún Laoghaire at any time.”
The investigating team can be contacted in Dún Laoghaire Garda station on 01-6665032 or at Crimestoppers on 1800-250025.
