Gardaí investigating the disappearance of Kerry farmer Michael Gaine over a month ago have upgraded the case to a homicide investigation.
There were suspicions from the outset that Mr Gaine’s disappearance was so sudden and out of character that he had fallen victim to foul play.
Despite extensive searches since the 56-year-old vanished last month, gardaí have not discovered his remains or any trace of him. However, investigating gardaí now believe he was unlawfully killed and his body was likely disposed of in a bid to conceal the crime.
Gardaí are expected to make a renewed appeal for information on Wednesday and to encourage people with information, including people who have been too fearful to come forward, to share what they know with investigating detectives.
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Though the missing man’s remains have not been found, the decision to upgrade the inquiry to a homicide investigation comes as gardaí have been unable to find any evidence Mr Gaine is still alive or that he left the Kenmare area of his own volition.
In a statement on Tuesday night, Garda Headquarters said there are people in the community who knew what happened to the sheep farmer on March 20th.
“If you have not been in a position to speak to An Garda Síochána about the information you have, or have already spoken to An Garda Síochána but have more information that you can provide - An Garda Síochána is appealing to you to come forward with that information,” the statement added.
Mr Gaine was last seen alive in Kenmare town, buying phone credit in a Centra shop, on Thursday, March 20th, and was reported missing the following day.
When seen in the store, he was wearing an orange wool hat, a black fleece, blue jeans and black boots. He appears to have driven back to his home outside the town, off the N71 at Carrig East, before disappearing.
His car – a bronze-coloured Toyota Rav4, registration 152 KY 366 – was left in the yard, but no trace of him has been found despite extensive searches of his farm and nearby lands by gardaí, the Defence Forces, Kerry Mountain Rescue, other groups and large numbers of volunteers.
While gardaí found a makeshift camp there, with some weapons believed to belong to a man effectively living off the land, no trace of the missing man has been found.
The decision to search a slurry pit on Mr Gaine’s farm and to take away the missing man’s car for forensic analysis, all in the immediate aftermath of the missing persons report, was indicative of the grave concerns for his welfare and fears that foul play was a factor in the case.
Since then, the investigation team in Killarney Garda station has taken almost 130 witness statements and undertaken 320 formal investigative tasks of enquiries. Some 2,200 hours of footage – including from CCTV systems and driver dashcams – has been gathered from analysis.
Gardaí said that, “based on the entirety of the information available to the investigation team”, a decision had been taken to reclassify the missing persons inquiry to a homicide investigation. As a result of the move, the team in Killarney station will be allocated more resources and will have stronger powers, including relating to more intrusive searching and for arresting any suspects or those suspected of withholding information.
It is the second unsolved missing persons case in less than 12 months to be upgraded to a homicide inquiry despite remains not being found. The search for Co Louth child Kyran Durnin was upgraded to a murder investigation last October.
