Gardaí investigating the murder of Siobhán Kearney in south Dublin in January have sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions in which they recommend the prosecution of the chief suspect.
The file was sent a fortnight ago and comes after a six-month murder investigation following the discovery of the remains of the 38-year-old mother of one in her family home at Knocknashee, Goatstown, Dublin, on the morning of January 31st.
Ms Kearney was strangled with the flex of a vacuum cleaner. He body had been locked into the bedroom of the house. Gardaí believe an effort had been made to arrange the scene to make it appear as if Ms Kearney had taken her own life.
Her remains were discovered after a relative who had called to the house to see her on the morning of January 31st alerted gardaí. Ms Kearney's three-year-old son Dan was found in the house as his mother's remains lay upstairs.
Gardaí arrested the chief suspect in the case two days after the murder. However, after a period of questioning, he was released without charge. The man is the only suspect in the case.
Gardaí believe statements taken from neighbours place this man outside the house on the morning of the killing, when he claims he was elsewhere.
Because a firearm was not used, gardaí were obliged to arrest the suspect under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, which allows for a maximum period of detention of 12 hours. The suspect answered some of the questions put to him, but on a number of other issues he exercised his right to silence.
The investigation has been complicated by the fact that the murder suspect had been at the house before and could claim any of his DNA found there was left during previous visits.
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