Gardaí in Waterford have begun a murder inquiry after the remains of a woman were found in the boot of her own car in the city yesterday.
Gardaí had last night not confirmed the identity of the dead woman but the remains are believed to be those of missing Co Waterford woman Mrs Mary Walsh.
Mrs Walsh (54), known as Maimie, was reported missing after she failed to return home from work on Monday. The married mother of two adult daughters was last seen at her home at Glendalligan, Leamybrien, Co Waterford, shortly before 9 a.m. on Monday.
She left her home, about 20 miles from Waterford City in her blue Hyundai Coupe for an appointment at the village of Kilmacthomas, Waterford, that morning.
There had been no reported sightings of her or her vehicle until the car was found parked at the side of Cathal Brugha Street in Waterford city yesterday.
A taxi driver in the city alerted gardaí to car's location just after 12.15 p.m. The scene was immediately sealed off and the vehicle removed to Tramore Garda Station where it was examined by Garda technical experts. The woman's body was found in the boot.
The State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, was last night due to carry out a post-mortem on the remains at Waterford Regional Hospital after having earlier carried out a preliminary examination.
The dead woman had marks on her remains consistent with an attack before she died. Garda sources said she had marks on her face and neck. It is understood she also had a wound on her upper body.
Mrs Walsh, who worked for a credit company, had a large sum of money, €10,000 to €20,000, in her possession when she left home on Monday which was intended for lodgement at a bank in Kilmacthomas.
The money was not lodged.
She had an appointment with a man known to her on Monday at about the same time she had planned to lodge the money.
When she failed to return home on Monday evening and was reported missing gardaí contacted the man she was due to meet. He agreed to meet them on Tuesday after speaking to them on his mobile phone but he failed to keep the appointment.
One senior Garda source said the man's whereabouts were now unknown.
A team of detectives based at Tramore Garda Station working under Supt Gerry Lynch is now trying to find the man.
The man's Co Waterford house was sealed off by gardaí last night and was being technically examined.
The dead woman is survived by her husband, Pa, and two grown-up daughters, one a nurse in Cork and the other a bank official in Dungarvan.
She is also survived by her elderly mother, Mary, her sister Breda and brothers Noel and Tom.
Mrs Walsh was robbed last December when around €5,000 was taken from her.
Garda sources said they believed she had become more nervous about carrying large sums of cash since that time.
On Tuesday the Garda press office issued an appeal for anybody with information as to her whereabouts to ring the gardaí at Tramore or the Garda confidential telephone line.
When last seen she was wearing a navy pin-stripe trousers, a red knitted jumper and a red and navy striped black blazer and carried a black handbag.