THE Garda team investigating the murder of Ms Anne Marie Duffin (39), whose body was found in a pool of blood at her Blennerville, Co Kerry, home last week, was strengthened yesterday to 30, but no new developments were reported.
Chief Supt Donal O'Sullivan of Tralee said the murder weapon, a sharp instrument, has not been found, and there was no obvious motive for the murder of the mother of two teenage boys, who worked part time at a restaurant near Tralee.
Gardai were yesterday continuing house to house calls in an effort to trace Ms Duffin's movements between 8.30 a.m. and noon on April 15th, the day she was killed. There were no signs of forcible entry at the bungalow, located in a quiet lane, where Ms Duffin lived with her sons, Kevin (16) and Timothy (13).
Ms Duffin, a Dutch national, had lived in Kerry for the past 10 years. On the day of her death, her two sons had left for school at 8.30 a.m. When they returned at 4.30 p.m. they found their mother lying inside the hall door with head and neck injuries. The boys raised the alarm, but Ms Duffin was pronounced dead at Tralee General Hospital.
Gardai are still awaiting the results of a forensic examination to establish whether the motive for her murder was sexual. Her clothes were disarranged and there were signs she had struggled with her attacker. Neighbours said that nothing out of the ordinary was noticed or heard on the day Ms Duffin was killed.