New appeal for information on murder of baby in Dún Laoghaire 47 years ago

A fresh appeal for information that could help solve the 47-year-old murder of baby Noleen Murphy has been issued by gardaí.

It is believed that Noleen was stabbed to death and left in a bin bag within 24 hours of being born. Her body was found in a car park in Dún Laoghaire, in April 1973.

Following a Garda murder investigation, and an inquest in 2007, Cynthia Owen who had lived at White’s Villas in nearby Dalkey, was officially named as Noleen’s mother.

At the time she gave birth, Ms Owen was 11 years old.

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Ms Owen’s solicitor Gerard Dunne of O’Brien Dunne Solicitors said Ms Owen was fully supportive of the Garda appeal and had been seeking it for some time.

He joined Detective Superintendent Martin Creighton outside Dún Laoghaire Garda station to issue appeal and said Noleen had “never been given justice” over the intervening 47 years.

Det Supt Creighton said “we have this tiny infant who was probably only about 24-hours old, left in the lane there, near where we are standing now,” he said.

“That is why we are making the appeal. To try and get information. To try and get justice for baby Noleen,” he said.

Over the years, the killing has been the subject of a sustained Garda investigation including reviews by the Serious Crime Review Team and the the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Det Supt Creighton said as a result of Garda enquiries a number of files had been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, but these had not resulted in prosecutions.

An inquiry into the Garda’s investigation into the murder was carried out by senior counsel Patrick Gageby following the inquest. It found that “most of the surrounding documents and exhibits, sometime after that date, were lost or mislaid.”

Det Supt Creighton said there were no plans to exhume Noleen’s body as scientific advice had indicated the passage of time, and the nearby presence of other bodies, would negate the use of DNA investigations.

Det Supt Creighton said at this stage “all available lines of inquiry have now been exhausted” and he appealed for anyone with any knowledge of the killing to come forward.

Anyone with information should contact the Garda at Dun Laoghaire Garda station on 01-6665000 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800666 111.