Raonaid Murray was doubtless caught off guard when her attacker punched her within the face, chipping considered one of her entrance tooth.
er killer then produced a knife and started stabbing her, tentatively at first. The 17-year-old stumbled in direction of her residence, determined to flee. She collapsed simply yards from her home in Glenageary in south Dublin — a sanctuary she sought in her last moments. However after she fell, Raonaid by no means acquired again up.
Right this moment, the Murray household will privately mark the twenty third anniversary of her homicide on September 4, 1999. Virtually 1 / 4 of a century on from the crime, it stays unsolved.
Gardaí concerned over time have differing and powerful opinions on the suspected identification of {the teenager}’s assassin. However senior investigators who spoke to the Sunday Unbiased this weekend all agree on one level — she knew her killer. And that the reply to who killed Raonaid, and why, lies firmly inside the local people.
“Two years from now is the large anniversary I suppose — 25 years — however this one shall be simply as important for the household. As was each anniversary earlier than this. It’s one other 12 months with out their daughter,” says retired Detective Sergeant Alan Bailey, formally hooked up to a Garda chilly case unit which carried out a 2008 re-examination of Raonaid’s homicide in a bid to unravel the case.
“It is likely one of the greatest regrets of my profession that we didn’t resolve it. I had a daughter of an analogous age. And I feel we all the time owe it to the sufferer, we owe them that a lot, to seek out the individual accountable. The homicide of Raonaid Murray is one case that has actually stayed with me.”
The deadly stabbing of {the teenager} in considered one of south Dublin’s most prosperous neighbourhoods shocked your complete nation. On the night time she died, Raonaid had completed her shift at a boutique in Dún Laoghaire, Sally West, the place she labored part-time.
She met some mates for a drink in a Dún Laoghaire pub, Scott’s, after work. It was Friday night time. She left her mates to go briefly again residence to alter her garments earlier than planning to go again out to satisfy others in an area nightclub. It was only a 15-minute stroll residence, however Raonaid by no means made it there.
{That a} younger girl might be murdered in what was beforehand thought of one of many most secure suburbs of the capital sparked alarm from the second the information bulletins started reporting the grim information.
Raonaid’s photograph was launched. It confirmed a blue-eyed lady, with a blue nostril stud, and lengthy blonde hair. This image would characteristic each day on the entrance pages of newspapers for months to return.
“Her photograph cemented the stratospheric curiosity in her demise. A fantastic younger girl, with haunting eyes, a youngster on the cusp of maturity. It turned an iconic picture,” explains a separate senior investigator, closely concerned within the case, who spoke on situation of anonymity.
It was Raonaid’s older sister, Sarah, who discovered her physique. Within the early hours of September 4, 1999, she was making her manner residence from an evening out with mates when she occurred throughout the physique at midnight.
Her little sister lay immobile and bleeding closely on the footpath near their household residence. Panic ensued. An ambulance and the gardaí have been referred to as. However Raonaid was already useless.
A significant Garda investigation instantly swung into motion and the scene was sealed off. It was led by Detective Inspector Eamonn O’Reilly from Dún Laoghaire garda station. The well-respected officer, now deceased, was the ‘on the bottom’ investigator within the homicide probe for 12 years.
“It was one of many greatest homicide investigations within the historical past of the State. No stone was left unturned. O’Reilly wished justice for Raonaid greater than something. He labored laborious and was methodical in his investigation,” defined the senior supply concerned within the case in later years.
“Sadly he simply by no means acquired that break within the case that every one investigators generally want. Search methods and forensics have been very completely different in these days in contrast with what they’re at the moment.
“The primary downside was that the homicide weapon was by no means discovered. One other downside was Raonaid’s chipped tooth. We later established that it was chipped on account of being struck by a fist — however this piece of tooth was additionally by no means discovered. We consider these two items of lacking proof would have held DNA that might have led us to her killer.”
The borough of Dún Laoghaire was rocked to the core within the days, weeks and months that adopted the homicide. The investigation was colossal. Over 8,000 folks have been interviewed, some 3,000 witness statements have been taken and 13 arrests made.
“A few of the males who have been arrested, their names have been mud within the locality afterwards. Some felt pressured to maneuver abroad.
“This was such a giant case — folks have been pointing at them on the street and saying, ‘That’s yer man arrested over Raonaid.’ Was that honest?
“But in addition, the precise killer should have been watching this string of arrests and pondering, ‘The gardaí don’t have a clue. I’m getting away with this.’” stated the supply.
Amongst Raonaid’s circle of mates, bother was additionally simmering. One buddy, who spoke to the Sunday Unbiased on situation of anonymity out of respect for the Murray household’s privateness, defined that when folks within the teenager’s social circle have been questioned by gardaí, it led to hypothesis and suspicion.
This led to irretrievable fractures in friendships, many which had been long-standing since childhood.
“It was only a horrible time,” remembers Raonaid’s buddy, all these years later. “Raonaid had a variety of mates, everybody adored her and she or he was very sociable.
“We have been all simply reeling after her homicide. We have been youngsters actually, a variety of us couldn’t cope with it. Then there have been suspicions and accusations about alibis and such issues amongst our mates.
“Then there have been arrests and we knew a few of these folks arrested. It was simply horrendous. A number of us simply couldn’t deal with all of it.
“It led to the implosion of a variety of friendships. In some ways, it destroyed our friendship group. And for what? In spite of everything these years I’m undecided, as a result of we nonetheless don’t know what occurred to our buddy. And it appears neither do the gardaí.”
By the point Det Sgt Bailey and a staff of officers from the chilly case unit have been assigned in 2008 to re-examine Raonaid’s homicide, 9 years had handed since her demise.
“It was an enormous investigation by Dún Laoghaire gardaí they usually had accomplished a lot good work. We have been there to assist, to not take over. The entire objective of the chilly case unit was to be a contemporary pair of eyes,” says retired Det Sgt Bailey.
“We reviewed all of the proof, 1000’s of statements and different work and jobs undertaken, to attempt to see if something might need been neglected.
“On the outset, my instant impression of this case was how misplaced this homicide was. Raonaid was a younger girl with no legal connections or hyperlinks in any way — but she ended up murdered on her manner residence one night time.”
Within the aftermath of the killing, Dún Laoghaire gardaí launched a photofit of a person who was seen “performing suspiciously” near the the place Raonaid was murdered. He turned generally known as a ‘Liam Gallagher lookalike’ — the frontman of the Manchester band Oasis — who have been of their heyday across the time of Raonaid’s homicide.
“The one downside is, it was picked up mistaken. This man was not a ‘Liam Gallagher lookalike’. He presumably had an analogous coiffure, however that’s the place the similarity ended,” provides Mr Bailey.
“The very fact stays that this individual by no means got here ahead — and if he wasn’t concerned, he ought to come ahead, even now. We’re happy that his behaviour close to the scene was suspicious.”
However Mr Bailey is just not satisfied this unidentified man is in reality Raonaid’s killer.
The chilly case unit, as a part of its evaluation, recognized a variety of folks of curiosity within the case. The vast majority of these have been mates and acquaintances.
“There have been a variety of folks of curiosity recognized, as a result of their tales didn’t fairly add up — when it comes to the place they have been on the night time. We traced most of them, if not all of them,” Mr Bailey continues.
There was one girl specifically, an acquaintance of Raonaid’s, who senior investigators had cheap concern to suspect of involvement within the killing.
A decade later, this girl was tracked down abroad — and she or he later supplied a DNA pattern, with the help of police within the jurisdiction the place she then lived.
“There was a lady, who gardaí have been assured is likely to be a suspect. However her DNA pattern didn’t match DNA retrieved from the homicide scene and on Raonaid’s individual. It was a shock — and a blow. We actually suspected we had our killer,” added a safety supply.
“In spite of everything these years, it simply seems like that is a type of instances gardaí can’t resolve.”
However Det Sgt Bailey strongly disagrees. He believes Raonaid’s homicide will be solved.
“I firmly consider the reply to who killed her lies inside Raonaid’s social circle. It’s a huge factor to take a knife and drive it into somebody. That may be a huge factor to dwell with. And after practically 25 years, I don’t consider Raonaid’s killer by no means informed anybody.
“However relationships change over that course of time. It isn’t too late to do the suitable factor, for somebody with data to return ahead.”
Who does he suspect killed Raonaid?
“I consider she knew her killer. I don’t for one minute consider this was a random assault, primarily based on the data gleaned from the investigation.
“It might be an enormous mistake to rule out the chance that her killer was a lady.
“Most of the stab wounds have been tentative, earlier than escalating, which means that they may have been inflicted by a lady. I firmly consider the reply to who killed her lies inside Raonaid’s social circle.
“I might completely again plans for an additional full cold-case evaluation,” says Det Sgt Bailey. “We owe that to Raonaid.”
Individuals of Curiosity
There isn’t a prime suspect for the homicide. Nevertheless, some well-known criminals have been linked to — and dominated out — of involvement in her killing.
Farah Swaleh Noor
Noor was a violent man who was later murdered by the so-called ‘Scissor Sisters’, Charlotte and Linda Mulhall. He put himself within the body for the homicide of Raonaid, claiming to his former accomplice, Kathleen Mulhall, that he was accountable. Detectives are happy he wasn’t concerned.
Graham Dwyer
The convicted assassin stabbed childcare employee Elaine O’Hara to demise as a part of a sexual fantasy in 2012. He was a younger architect residing within the south of town on the time of Raonaid’s homicide. Detectives are happy he’s not linked.
“There was no sexual factor to Raonaid’s demise, which was Dwyer’s motivation,” stated Det Sgt Alan Bailey.
Photofit suspect
Two weeks after the homicide, gardaí issued a picture of a person they wished to talk to. He was described as in his mid-20s, 5ft 9ins, with brief, darkish hair and a Dublin accent.
He was sporting light-coloured garments with what gave the impression to be a bloodstain on one trouser leg, in line with a taxi driver to picked him up in Dún Laoghaire and dropped him to Blackrock. He has by no means been traced.
‘Liam Gallagher lookalike’
Witnesses within the space informed gardaí a couple of younger man noticed arguing with a younger girl close to the homicide scene, shortly earlier than it occurred. He was described as in his 20s, slim and athletic, with messy, curly hair.
He wore light-coloured fight trousers and a round-necked brown or beige jumper. He has by no means come ahead to gardaí.
