Gardai were waiting for post-mortem results last night to determine if a 70-year-old woman found dead in her garage in north Dublin yesterday had been sexually assaulted.
Ms Marie Dillon was found by a neighbour in the garage of her home on Beneavin Road in Glasnevin about 10 a.m. Initially her death was described as suspicious, but a murder investigation began shortly after the body was found.
A widow for a number of years, Ms Dillon lived alone. She was an active member of the local widows' association, gardai said, and was well-known to her neighbours.
The Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, examined the body at the scene yesterday evening after gardai sealed off the area around the house.
Video security footage taken by shops and pubs in the busy area around the house will be examined by gardai over coming days.
The small concrete garage with a rusted corrugated iron roof adjoins an Advance Tyre garage with a late-night video shop beside it. Gardai said they were satisfied she had been attacked in the garage rather than elsewhere.
They said the most recent sighting was at about 2 p.m. on Tuesday, and it appeared she had died on Tuesday night. "She was a very very private person," a neighbour said. "She didn't do anything to anyone. It's a terrible thing to have happened. She would talk to people. She used to talk to me about the children and how big they'd grown."
Gardai said she had lived in the house for 40 years, having moved there with her husband. The couple did not have any children. They said the neighbour who found her body had called to check on her.
Yesterday gardai used a temporary tent to cover the entrance to the small garage as they removed her car. Ms Dillon was found lying on the floor of the cluttered garage. Her clothing had been disturbed.
If the post-mortem results indicate that she was sexually assaulted, gardai are expected to compile a list of suspects from the area and surrounding suburbs.
Det Supt Tony Sourke said gardai were appealing for information on any suspicious movements around the house in the time before her death, which would be known with the full post-mortem.
An incident room has been set up in Finglas Garda station. Anyone with information is asked to phone (01) 834-2077.
