Gardaí are investigating the death of a man in his 50s whose body was discovered on a riverbank outside Mallow, Co Cork, and who is understood to have suffered gunshot wounds. The body was found at Ballyellis at around 1.30pm on Thursday, October 15, according to the Irish Examiner, and the scene was preserved for a forensic examination.
The deceased was originally from Cork city, the Irish Examiner reports. The Irish Times reports that Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said the case is expected to be upgraded to a homicide investigation once a post-mortem examination is completed.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Garda College in Templemore, Commissioner Kelly said the man had not yet been identified and that gardaí were carrying out their own inquiries into who he was. He said the investigation had already been given the resources appropriate to a homicide inquiry while gardaí await the outcome of the post-mortem.
Why it matters
A death initially treated as unexplained has moved quickly towards a formal murder inquiry, and the case is now being run out of a dedicated incident room at Mallow Garda Station. A senior investigating officer has been appointed, and the Garda Technical Bureau is examining the scene and working to recover evidence.
The location of the discovery adds to the pressure on the investigation. The body was found on a walkway near a wastewater treatment plant on the Killavullen side of Mallow, a short distance from the town, in an area popular with people walking dogs. The Irish Examiner reports that the man is believed to have been in the area for no longer than a day before he was found.
What investigators have established so far
According to the Irish Examiner, the man suffered gunshot wounds and may have been shot at very close range. Bullet casings are believed to have been found near the body.
Up to 30 gardaí were at the scene on Friday, searching the area for potential evidence. The body has since been removed to allow the post-mortem examination to proceed.
Commissioner Kelly told reporters that the priority now includes establishing the man's identity. "We have discovered the body of a male," he said. "The post mortem will be this morning so I anticipate that will be upgraded to a homicide investigation quite soon."
He added: "As regards the identity, we have not identified the person as of yet, so we will doing our own investigations into that. But I'd ask anyone, members of the public out there that have any information in relation to it, they should come forward."
Gardaí have appealed to anyone who was in the area on Thursday morning or Thursday afternoon to contact them. The appeal covers people who may have been walking the route, driving through, or otherwise present near the riverbank at the time.
A case that has moved fast
The sequence of events has unfolded over roughly a single day. The body was discovered early on Thursday afternoon, the scene was sealed and examined, and by Friday a senior investigating officer was in place and the Garda Technical Bureau was at work. The post-mortem examination, which will determine the formal direction of the case, was taking place on Friday.
The Irish Times reported that Commissioner Kelly expects the inquiry to be reclassified as a homicide investigation shortly. The Irish Independent reported that gardaí were considering a murder investigation following the discovery on the riverside walkway, and The Journal reported that gardaí were investigating after the body of a man who died violently was found in Mallow.
The Irish Examiner's reporting was contributed by Cormac O'Keeffe, Liz Dunphy, Greg Murphy and Ann Murphy.
What happens next depends largely on the post-mortem examination and on whether gardaí can confirm the man's identity. Anyone with information about the man's movements or about activity near Ballyellis on Thursday is being asked to come forward to Mallow Garda Station.
