Suspect in Kyran Durnin murder investigation found dead in Drogheda
A man arrested last week in connection with the suspected murder of Kyran Durnin has been found dead.
The man, who was in his 30s, was found dead at a house in Drogheda that last week was the subject of a search operation by gardaí investigating the child’s disappearance and suspected murder.
Sources said an initial assessment suggests the death was a “personal tragedy”.
In a statement, gardaí said they attended the scene along with emergency services following the discovery of the body.
“The local coroner has been notified and a postmortem examination will be arranged. The outcome of the postmortem will determine the course of the investigation. No additional information is available at this time,” a spokesperson said.
The man had access to Kyran in the period before the last confirmed sighting of him as a six-year-old in 2022.
He was known to the Durnin family and a close associate of another chief suspect in the case.
While Kyran was reported missing in August this year, detectives are working on the assumption he has been dead for two years and was probably murdered.
One line of inquiry was that the deceased helped to cover up the boy’s disappearance by misleading child protection workers.
The man was released from Garda custody last Friday evening after being questioned for 24 hours on suspicion of murder. A woman in her 20s was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of murder and released without charge on Wednesday evening.
The deceased man had a history of violent offending. Sources said his death will probably significantly impede the investigation that has been ongoing since October.
Despite searches in Dundalk in October and at the two properties in Drogheda this week, Kyran’s remains have not been found.
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