The stepdaughters of the late convicted fraudster Julia Holmes have said that they believe she could have built an empire with her talents.
The two US women told RTÉ’s Prime Time that Ms Holmes lacked a conscience.
Kimberly Parrish-Sanders and Rosalyn Frazier knew Ms Holmes for almost two decades after she married their father Clyde.
“I think she lacked a conscience and I think there was a little part of her that was missing and maybe by stealing the money...maybe she was always searching for a way to fill that hole,” said Ms Parrish-Sanders.
“She was so bright and she was so good at learning and adapting and changing her ways and she was a chameleon really.”
She added: “Why didn’t she use that to do well? Why didn’t she use that to build an empire. She would have been the most successful person you’ve ever met had she put her talents to good use.”
A cremation service for Ms Holmes took place in Cork last week.
The body of the 63-year-old was found alongside that of her partner Thomas Ruttle (56) at their home in Boolaglass, Askeaton, Co Limerick on May 18th last following an apparent suicide pact.
Carbon monoxide
Gardaí believe the couple may have died from deliberate exposure to carbon monoxide. Mr Ruttle was laid to rest last week at St Mary’s Church of Ireland in Askeaton.
Originally from Northern Ireland, Julia Holmes, who used more than 40 different aliases, was a convicted fraudster who was the subject of Garda, PSNI and FBI investigations.
Her only child, a son whom she abandoned 40 years ago in Northern Ireland as a baby, has said that he wants nothing to do with his estranged mother.
Her other stepdaughter Rosalyn Frazier said Ms Holmes lied about her past and her history.
“She said she was from Ireland and that her family back in Ireland had died in a house fire,” said Ms Frazier.
Ms Parrish - Sanders said Ms Holmes had lied to her about her family situation.
“That’s not the story I got, I was told there were two brothers left and their wives and children. And that she did have a son and he had died of cancer at the age of 13. In actual fact I believe her son is four years older than me, I believe he is 44 now. ”
Dan Quayle
RTÉ reported that Ms Holmes joined the Republican Party and was photographed with former vice president Dan Quayle.
In 2004, Ms Holmes pleaded guilty to defrauding people of more than $500,000 dollars in the Federal courthouse in Tyler, Texas.
She spent 27 months in prison in the US before being deported back to Ireland where she went on to defraud other businesses including a beauty spa in Co Tyrone.
She was later charged with another offence of conning a man out of £18,000. She was released on bail but never showed up for her remand hearing at Downpatrick distict court.
She then crossed the Border to the Republic where she established a new identity.