Midleton skull: Gardaí say it may be weeks before identification

It may be weeks before authorities are in a position to identify human remains found near Midleton in East Cork, as they await various DNA test results on samples taken from a skull and other bones, the gardaí has said.

However, investigators are confident that the DNA tests taken at post-mortem will help shed light on the person, now believed to be a woman, whose body parts were found near the route of the old Midleton to Youghal rail line.

Gardaí yesterday recovered what are believed to be tibia and fibula bones from the person in further searches of the area which remains cordoned off by gardaí even though it has not been formally declared a crime scene.

Gardaí also recovered part of a skirt or dress as well as a crucifix on a chain from near the skull which they believe may also help them identify the remains and then perhaps lead them to finding out how they ended up at the location.

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Jawbone

However, reports that gardaí had also recovered part of a human jawbone near the skull, which would allow investigators check dental records, proved wide of the mark after it emerged that the jawbone belonged to an animal.

Gardaí were last night staying tight lipped about their inquiry and they refused to confirm reports that Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster had confirmed that the skull is female following her examination of the remains.

Instead, Gardaí said they were still keeping an open mind on the gender of the deceased, pending the completion of DNA tests on samples taken from the skull at the examination in Cork University Hospital on January 6th.

And they also declined to comment on reports that Forensic Anthropologist, Dr Lorraine Buckley was able to tell investigators that the skull was at the site in Roxboro, some three kilometres east of Midleton, for no more than ten years.

The skull was discovered at about 4.30pm on January 5th at the Shanty Bridge in Roxboro by contractors doing clearance work for a car park to serve the new Midleton-Youghal Greenway which runs along the route of the old rail line.

Level

It's understood that a workman using a JCB went to level a one metre high mound of earth and rubbish when he noticed the skull in the debris and immediately stopped work and notified gardaí, who cordoned off the scene.

Gardai, under Supt Adrian Gamble of Midleton Garda Station, requested the services of the state pathologist’s office and Dr Bolster attended the scene the following day, January 6th before the skull was removed for examination.

It’s understood that gardaí have DNA samples of a number of missing persons on their database, including samples taken from relatives of Cork woman, Tina Satchwell (47) who went missing almost four years ago in March 2017.

A native of Fermoy, Ms Satchwell was reported missing by her husband, Richard on March 24th 2017, some four days after he returned to their home in Youghal from a shopping trip to Dungarvan to discover she had disappeared.

Mr Satchwell gave a number of media interviews after his wife disappeared and said he firmly believed that she was still alive and he appealed to her to contact either him or family or friends just to let them know she was alive.

He told The Irish Sun in November 2019 that he was still living in hope that his wife – to whom he was married for 26 years – was still alive. “I just can’t give up hope … I just feel I would know if she was dead,” he said.