Gardaí begin re-examination of Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder scene

Gardaí investigating the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in West Cork have begun a re-examination of the area where the 39-year-old was killed 26 years ago.

Officers from Bantry began clearing the area on the laneway leading to Ms Toscan du Plantier’s isolated holiday home at Dreenane, Toormore near Schull where her remains were found on the morning of December 23rd, 1996.

On Tuesday, a team of six officers wearing white forensic suits began clearing vegetation and undergrowth around the area where the French film producer’s body was discovered.

It is understood gardaí hope to carry out some preliminary mapping work at the site over the coming days.

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“The Garda investigation into the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in 1996 remains active and ongoing. Searches were carried out yesterday, 20th December 2022, on lands at Dreenane, Schull, West Cork as part of this investigation,” the Garda Press Office said in a statement.

The search comes just over a week after gardaí renewed their appeal for information into the murder of the mother of one, which has been the subject of a Serious Crime Review Team examination since last June.

Earlier this month, Supt Joe Moore of Bantry Garda station said he believed there were still people who could assist the investigation.

“I believe there are still persons who have information on Sophie’s murder and who haven’t yet spoken to gardaí or may have spoken to gardaí but were not in a position to tell everything that they know so I’m appealing to those people to please come forward and speak to the investigation team,” he said.

“And I want to assure anyone out there with information but may be nervous about contacting us that we are working on a very confidential basis and any information we receive will be treated with the utmost confidentiality – they can contact me on a personal basis if they wish,” he said.

Supt Joe Moore was speaking at a press briefing at the Harbour View Hotel in Schull on December 12th alongside Det Supt Des McTiernan of the Serious Crime Review Team, which has been working on the case and assisting the investigation team in Bantry for the past six months.

Det Supt McTiernan said that advances in forensics would be one area of inquiry which the team would examine, pointing out that much had changed in terms of the DNA examination techniques since gardaí began investigating the murder.