A man and a woman found dead at a farmhouse in Co Limerick may have died in a joint suicide pact, it has emerged.
The badly decomposed bodies of the couple, named locally as Thomas Ruttle (56) and Julia Holmes (63), were discovered in the upstairs bedroom of a farmhouse in Boolaglass, Askeaton, Co Limerick at 3am on Monday.
Originally from Northern Ireland, Ms Holmes, had been the subject of PSNI and FBI police investigations for fraud offences committed in Texas and Northern Ireland.
Containers containing a liquid substance found in the bedroom where the couple were discovered have been seized as part of the investigation which is exploring whether or not they consumed a poisonous substances before they died.
A “considerable” amount of hand written documentation found in the farmhouse is also proving crucial to this line of inquiry.
It is understood the containers were found near the bed where the couple were found lying fully clothed.
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 at the scene on Monday morning.
A post mortem carried out by State Pathologist Marie Cassidy on Monday evening failed to establish how the couple died.
Neither of the two legally held firearms found in the house had been discharged and it’s understood Dr Cassidy found no evidence of gunshot wounds or major trauma to the badly decomposed bodies.
Thomas Ruttle who worked as a mechanic was the registered owner of two weapons, a rifle and a double-barrelled shotgun.
A .22 calibre rifle was found on the floor next to the bed where the couple were discovered.
The Garda investigation has now focused on the containers containing small amounts of a liquid substance found near where the bodies lay.
It is believed that toxicology tests to ascertain whether the couple had taken a poisonous substance could take several weeks.
Originally from Northern Ireland Julia Holmes who used dozens of different aliases had more than 20 previous convictions for fraud.
She has 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.
Ms Holmes had been living in the house with Mr Ruttle in Co Limerick for the past number of years and became joint owner of his home in 2012.
The couple had not been seen in public since the middle of March after media reports of Ms Holmes’ fraudulent activities emerged.
Monday’s discovery was made by a criminal gang from the Traveller community who found the bodies after they tried to break into the recently renovated farmhouse.
Fearing they would be implicated in the deaths the west Limerick gang alerted Gardaí who discovered the couple in in an upstairs bedroom of the farmhouse.
The couple were fully clothed when they were found lying on a bed side by side.
A gardaí spokesman said that while considerable progress has been made in the inquiry, detectives will have to eliminate all callers to the house, including those who raised the alarm.
No official identification of the bodies has been able to take place yet and this could take a further 24 hours.
However sources confirmed that the families of the couple who lived at the farmhouse, (Thomas Ruttle and Julia Holmes) have been notified and prepared “for the worst possible news”.
A forensic scientist has been called in to assist the team of technical bureau detectives who have been at the scene at Boolaglass, on the Rathkeale/Askeaton road since the early hours of Monday morning.
The investigation is being led by Supt Tom O’Connor, Newcastle West and Det Inspector Eamon O’Neill, Henry Street.