Michael Gaine murder suspect makes complaint to Garda Ombudsman over interviews by gardaí
A man who has admitted to being a suspect in the investigation into Michael Gaine's murder in Kerry has lodged a complaint to the Garda Ombudsman's office.
Michael Kelley lodged the complaint with Fiosrú, formerly known as the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc), about two weeks ago.
According to a source, his complaint centres around interviews that took place between him and investigating gardaí last month.
In a newspaper interview, the 56-year-old American — who lived on Mr Gaine's farm for three years — openly criticised detectives.
Mr Kelley was arrested on May 18 after human tissue belonging to Mr Gaine was found at his farm near Moll's Gap, Co Kerry.
A large queue outside Finnegan's Funeral Home in Kenmare on Friday, as mourners gather to pay their respects to the late Michael Gaine. Picture: Dan Linehan
Although he was questioned at length in Killarney Garda Station, he was released without charge, but has since confirmed he was a suspect.
He denies any involvement in Mr Gaine's death.
A local farm contractor, who has carried out work for the Gaine family for years, had been spreading slurry when the machinery jammed and human tissue was found.
The farm was sealed off and officially declared a murder scene.
The last sighting of Michael Gaine buying phone credit in Centra in Kenmare on March 20.
After an extensive search, Mr Gaine's dismembered body was found in one of his two slurry tanks on May 18.
The complaint to the Ombudsman comes as Mr Gaine's funeral is to be held at Holy Cross Church from 10.30am on Saturday.
Afterwards, his old rally car — restored by friends — will take part in a procession around Kenmare after his funeral.
Members of the Killarney and District Motor Club, who restored a Ford Escort Mk2 Mr Gaine once raced in, have organised the procession.
At the head of it will be the car, with an urn of ashes, going on a lap of the town accompanied by other rally drivers from around the country.
Initially, Mr Gaine's disappearance on March 20 was treated by gardaí as a missing person's case, but was later upgraded to a murder probe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Man mistakenly deported to El Salvador brought back to US to face charges
A man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador has been returned to the United States to face criminal charges. Kilmar Abrego Garcia faces charges related to what US President Donald Trump's government said was a large human smuggling operation that brought immigrants into the country illegally. His abrupt release from El Salvador is the latest twist in a saga that sparked a months-long standoff between Trump administration officials and the courts over a deportation that officials initially acknowledged was done in error but then continued to stand behind in apparent defiance of orders by judges to facilitate his return to the US. The development occurred after US officials presented El Salvador President Nayib Bukele with an arrest warrant for federal charges in Tennessee accusing Abrego Garcia of playing a key role in smuggling immigrants into the country for money. He is expected to be prosecuted in the US and, if convicted, will be returned to his home country of El Salvador at the conclusion of the case, officials said. 'This is what American justice looks like,' US attorney general Pam Bondi said in announcing Abrego Garcia's return and the unsealing of a grand jury indictment. The indictment of Kilmar Abrego Garcia that charges him with transporting people who were in the United States illegally (AP Photo/Jon Elswick) Abrego Garcia's lawyers called the case 'baseless'. 'There's no way a jury is going to see the evidence and agree that this sheet metal worker is the leader of an international MS-13 smuggling conspiracy,' lawyer Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg said. Federal magistrate judge Barbara Holmes in Nashville, Tennessee, determined that Abrego Garcia will be held in custody until at least next Friday, when there will be an arraignment and detention hearing. Abrego Garcia appeared in court wearing a short-sleeved, white, buttoned shirt. When asked if he understood the charges, he told the judge through an interpreter: 'Yes. I understand.' Democrats and immigrant rights groups had pressed for Abrego Garcia's release, with several politicians – including senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, where Abrego Garcia had lived for years – even travelling to El Salvador to visit him. A federal judge had ordered him to be returned in April and the US Supreme Court rejected an emergency appeal by directing the government to work to bring him back. But the news that Abrego Garcia, who had an immigration court order preventing his deportation to his native country over fears he would face persecution from local gangs, was being brought back for the purpose of prosecution was greeted with dismay by his lawyers. The case also prompted the resignation of a top supervisor in the US attorney's office in Nashville, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel matter. Ben Schrader, who was chief of the office's criminal division, did not explain the reason for his resignation but posted to social media around the time the indictment was being handed down, saying: 'It has been an incredible privilege to serve as a prosecutor with the Department of Justice, where the only job description I've ever known is to do the right thing, in the right way, for the right reasons.' He declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press on Friday.
Sunday World
an hour ago
- Sunday World
Irish American community pays tribute to mum-of-three killed in murder-suicide
Arlene Connolly-O'Neill died at the hands of her husband Sean O'Neill on the morning of Wednesday, October 16. The Irish American mother of three who was killed by her husband in a murder-suicide has been remembered in a 'living tribute" at the school where she taught. Arlene Connolly-O'Neill died at the hands of her husband Sean O'Neill on the morning of Wednesday, October 16. There has been an outpouring of grief among the devastated Irish American community in Yonkers, New York, in the aftermath. Now, a tree has planted in her memory as "a beautiful nod to her strong Irish heritage' at the Yonkers elementary school where she had taught for more than two decades. Irish Central is reporting that the Eastchester Police Department shared photos from the unveiling of the tribute at Anne Hutchinson Elementary School on June 3. Arlene Connolly-O'Neill News in 90 Seconds - 7th June According to the police department's social media, teachers and students from the school, as well as two officers, came together to honor Connolly-O'Neill's memory by planting a tree in front of the school as a 'lasting symbol of her spirit and the many lives she touched'. "Students lovingly decorated rocks with green hearts, a beautiful nod to her strong Irish heritage and the warmth she shared with our school community,' the post reads. "May this tree grow strong and proud as Arlene continues to do in our hearts." Arlene, whose parents were from Co Monaghan and Co Galway, was a popular figure throughout the tight-knit Irish American community in Yonkers, where she lived her entire life. On October 16, police said that 47-year-old Arlene was shot multiple times by her 54-year-old husband Sean O'Neill, a retired NYPD Police Officer, before he turned the weapon on himself in their home in Yonkers. On October 23, a joint funeral was held for Arlene and Sean in Yonkers. In a heart wrenching speech at the end of the Mass, Arlene's brother Mark Connolly told the congregation that "no one's really sure why things turned out the way they did." He said: "We want everyone here to know that our family will not be defined by the events of that day but by the love we continue to have for one another." The couple is survived by their three sons, aged 15, 13, and 11 who are now in the care of their extended family. Following the tragedy a 'Go Green for Arlene' campaign launched by the Ladies Guild at the Annunciation Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Yonkers saw homes and businesses throughout the neighbourhood hang green bows and ribbons in her memory. The initiative was backed by the City of Yonkers, as well as numerous local businesses and community groups. In a further show of support, people on social media also changed their profile pictures to an image of a green heart with 'Arlene' written under it, Irish Central reports. An obituary shared by Flynn Memorial Home in Yonkers, described Arlene as "a proud Irish-American" who "cherished her friends and family." While she loved music and New York sports, "above all, her most-adored past time was going on nonstop adventures with her three boys, who were the loves of her life. The boys were her entire universe and she would have moved mountains for them." The obituary reads: "Arlene was a larger than life human being whose beautiful eyes and bright smile could light up a room. Her energy was infectious. 'She is gone too soon and will be dearly missed by so many. The world now has a void that can never be filled. Our hearts are heavy with her loss." According to the local Daily Voice publication, "In the months since her passing, O'Neill's family, friends, and the Eastchester school community have gathered repeatedly to grieve, honor, and celebrate her life." It added: "The tree planting is the latest in a series of tributes that reflect how deeply she was loved."
Irish Examiner
8 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Sunny Jacobs' death in Galway fire marks end of life shaped by wrongful conviction and resilience
As Sunny Jacobs sat in her tiny cell on death row waiting to be executed for a crime she insists she did not commit, she decided the only way she could find some peace was to pretend she was a monk in a cave, and not a prisoner in a cell. Every day, she would work on her mind, because that was all she had left that belonged to her. As a young mother of two, Sunny spent 17 years in prison and five in solidarity confinement on death row in the US before she was released — in 1992 — at the age of 45. In 1976, she had been accused of murdering two police officers who approached a car she was in with her partner, Jesse Tafero, her two young children, and an acquaintance, Walter Rhodes, who had broken parole conditions. As they approached the car, the police officers were fatally gunned down. Rhodes blamed the murders on Sunny and Jesse — who were tried and sentenced to death. Jesse Joseph Tafero was put to death in 1990 — a malfunctioning electric chair meant it took several attempts and 13 minutes to kill him. Flames reportedly shot out of his head during the horrifying execution. 'I still grieve for him' Sunny said in her soft American accent when we first met in 2008. 'It was so awful, really, all I could do was try to survive. I can't imagine it, I try not to.' Her parents, who were caring for her children Christina and Eric while she was in prison, were killed in a plane crash — Christina went into foster care and Eric, a teenager, learned to support himself. Sunny Jacobs had experienced the worst type of hell on earth. After she had found peace and tranquillity in the west of Ireland years later, where she lived in an idyllic community in Casla, Co Galway, with people who adored her, she expected to live out her life in peace. But sadly, that was not to be. Early last Tuesday, Sunny, who was 78, died along with her carer, Kevin Kelly, as a blaze ripped through her cottage. It was a tragic end to a remarkable life that was documented in books, a play, and a film, The Exonerated. All week, tributes have poured in for the woman who beat all the odds and had survived nearly two decades behind bars. Her RIP notice said 'We share the tragic news of Dr Sunny Jacob's tragic death at her home in Casla, Connemara, Co Galway on June 03, 2025. 'Sunny, a beloved member of the community as well as the wider international community where she was well-known for her humanitarian work and as an activist supporting and giving a voice to others. 'She is a huge loss, and will be heartbreakingly missed by her daughter Christina, son Eric, and grandchildren, Claudia, Jesse, and Bella. She was loved and will be missed by many, many close friends and family. Proceeded in death by her spouse Jesse Tafero, and her late husband and activist, Peter Pringle.' The first time Sunny Jacobs told me her story was in 2008 when I worked on a late-night talk show. She recalled how after Jessie's horrific execution, Walter Rhodes confessed he had fired the fatal shots, 'He confirmed what Jesse and I had said all that time, but it was too late for him, and I had lost so much, my children were not with me, my parents killed so horribly,' she said. What was I to do? I had nothing left, it was beyond traumatic, shocking, the worst, yes the worst, but the only thing the authorities didn't take was my mind. 'I had some control over my mind, but I had to learn to work with my mind and that is where I learned meditation, yoga, mindfulness and how important it was. 'It kept me alive, it really did, so I began working on my mental state, I pretended I was a monk praying in a cave and not a prisoner in a cell. All those dark days when you are alone in that cell, with no window and no light, you have your mind, you either lose your mind or use it to its full potential." By deciding she was not going to be a prisoner, Sunny believed she gave herself some hope. 'Outside of my cell and the prison, death row, the world, the death of those police officers, the death of Jesse, my parents' deaths, my kids being left without parents, that was the nightmare. 'I would allow myself to be really really angry for a few minutes, and then I began to believe I was a monk. I was in a cave and not a cell, I was not a prisoner, instead I was a monk. 'I'm not particularly religious, I just wanted to find peace and somehow this drove me to peace and my own mind saved me from hell. 'I know what happened was awful but why think about it now?' she said years later. 'I came here to Ireland to find peace and I did get peace. I am surrounded by a lovely community'. For years afterwards, Sunny and I spoke to each other on email and the phone. Every so often, she would pop up on chat, when online chat first went live. She would say things like: 'Hey again, this is like meeting on street corners, I'll talk to you real soon." She told me about that awful night in the US, and although she did not witness the events from inside the van where she was sleeping with her children, she has always said Walter Rhodes murdered the police officers. Having fled the scene in the police car, they were captured at a roadblock and arrested. Sunny Jacobs with her late partner Peter Pringle, who spent 14 years in prison for the murder of two gardaí, before being exonerated. Sunny Jacobs and Jesse Tafero were sentenced to death, while Rhodes was given three life sentences, despite being the only one to have tested positive for traces of gunpowder. Sunny, when freed, went on to live in Galway with her partner Peter Pringle, who led a parallel life to hers, having been wrongly imprisoned himself for 15 years. 'I think the universe brought us together as a gift because both of us had chosen the path of peace and healing, rather than revenge or retribution' she said. That path included forgiving those responsible for what happened to her, but she said it was not a selfless act. 'For me, forgiveness is a selfish act that I do for myself so that I don't have to live with hatred in my heart and I can fill those places with joy and love and happiness instead and it's just as simple as that.' Her ability to forgive always astounded me because she suffered so much in her life. I told her I would understand if she hated the world. But, "I never did", she said. My kids suffered of course, they lost their father and me. I was not dead, but they knew what happened to their dad, they would always find out. 'Christina went into foster care, and she believed we were guilty of those crimes. My son Eric had to make his own way in life' By the time Sunny was released from prison in 1992, her children were adults, her son was a dad, and she had to learn to live a new way. 'I was not the young mother anymore with my two tiny children' she said. 'I was in my 40s, and they were all grown up.' She met her future husband Peter Pringle through Amnesty International in Galway after her release. He had also been on death row in Ireland for the murder of gardaí John Morley and Henry Byrne in July 1980. He had spent 14 years in jail before being released, saying he had been exonerated and later wrote a book claiming he had been framed. They set up the Sunny Centre together and worked in mediation and trauma healing. Peter died on New Year's Eve at home in Glenicmurrin in 2023. Despite all the horrors in her life, Sunny found peace in Galway. She had an incredible emotional intelligence and an ability to see outside the trauma and terror — working on her mind so she could find contentment. 'When I realised they could not take my mind in prison, I was able to see a future, and moving here to Galway I found that future, and I found my peace.' Read More Garda Commissioner confirms review into Tina Satchwell case amid scrutiny of 2017 house search
