‘If you find us don’t revive us’ read note in Limerick farmhouse

"If you find us don't revive us" was one of the final messages in a series of hand written notes discovered in the home of a woman and her partner found dead at a Co Limerick farmhouse earlier this week.

The badly decomposed bodies of Julia Holmes, (63), and Thomas Ruttle (56), were discovered lying side-by-side in an upstairs bedroom of their home in Boolaglass, Askeaton Co Limerick, at 3am on Monday.

Pathological tests took two days to officially confirm the identity of Julia Holmes, while tests are still ongoing to formally identify Mr Ruttle, who is likely to be formally identified Thursday.

The dead couple whom it’s believed died in a suicide pact, were discovered by a gang attempting to burgle the house.

Fearful they would be implicated in the deaths, the gang alerted gardaí at Newcastlewest to the grim discovery.

It is understood the well-known criminals are likely to face charges arising from the break-in, but this will be a matter for the DPP to decide.

Toxicology tests are ongoing in an effort to establish if Julia Holmes and Thomas Ruttle died by poisoning.

A post mortem examination by the State pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy was unable to confirm the cause of death.

Up to 20 hand written notes, some of which were signed by the couple, were found in the kitchen of the farmhouse, which has led detectives to believe their deaths were suicide.

It’s emerged amongst the requests was that the contents of the notes be read out at the couple’s inquests.

The Irish Times has also learned that one of the final messages read: "If you find us don't revive us."

Detectives believe the bodies had been at the scene for several weeks and there was no electricity or heating in the house when gardaí arrived.

Neither of the two legally held firearms found in the house were discharged and there was no evidence of gunshots or major trauma to the decomposed bodies.

Originally from Northern Ireland, Julia Holmes was a convicted fraudster who used over 30 aliases.

Born Cecilia Julia McKitterick in Castleberg, Co Tyrone on February 7th, 1952, she was the subject of PSNI and FBI police investigations.

She had been sought by the PSNI since she absconded in 2011 after being charged in relation to an £18,000 fraud.

In 2006 she was deported from the US where she was convicted in connection with a $500,000 property scam in Texas, which involved seeking investments from friends for non-existing Irish properties.

In 1971 she married her first husband, whom she has never divorced, and called herself Julia.

The following year she abandoned her son, who lives in Co Down, when he was six-months-old to be raised by his paternal grandparents. It’s understood he hasn’t seen or spoken to his biological mother in more than 40 years.

In 1982 she entered the US illegally via Canada and became a leading member of the Republican Party in Athens, Texas, and a high-profile member of the Lone Star State Women’s Republican Club.

The following year she married Clyde Parrish and started a job claiming be a psychologist Dr Julia Watson.

In 2004, now calling herself Julia Victoria Parrish, she was found guilty of fraud in Athens, Texas, and was later deported from the US.

In April 2011, despite having been previously married and never divorced, she had a blessing to Thomas Rutttle, a divorced father of two from Co Limerick.

The couple had not been seen in public together since March of this year after media reports of Ms Holmes’ fraudulent activities emerged.

Investigating gardaí are satisfied there was communication between Mr Ruttle and another man in early April.

However, they are still trying to establish when Ms Holmes was last seen, and her social media activity and blog entries are being examined.

Detectives are also looking into claims that a woman, trying to unmask Ms Holmes’s fraudulent activities, was blocked from accessing a Twitter account used by Ms Holmes on April 22nd last.

Details of Ms Holmes’ fraudulent activities have emerged in recent days including how she led local builders to believe she was dying from cancer when they sought €70,000 for renovating the two-storey farmhouse in Boolaglass.

She promoted bogus charity events including a fundraiser for Bumbleance, the charity aiding the transportation of sick children, as well as cancer research groups.

It’s understood the couple are likely to have separate funerals with with Mr Ruttle expected to be buried in the family grave in the Church of Ireland cemetery in Askeaton.