logo
Mystery remains over partial body parts found by fishermen off Dublin coast as no DNA match found amid new database move

Mystery remains over partial body parts found by fishermen off Dublin coast as no DNA match found amid new database move

The Irish Sun14-05-2025
PARTIAL remains found off the coast of Dublin last year have been added to the public database.
Fishermen found two leg bones on the seabed off the coast of Skerries in Co
An examination revealed that they belonged to a male who was just 23 or older when he died.
His time of death was estimated to be one of two years before the remains were found - likely either in 2022 or 2023.
The discovery has now been added to the Department of Justice's public database of unidentified remains.
It was added in recent weeks after DNA testing failed to match the remains to a
READ MORE IN IRISH NEWS
The bones were compared to the National DNA missing persons database.
This database, managed by Forensic Science Ireland (FSI), stores DNA profiles of missing people and or their close family members.
The left tibia and left fibula were found on May 7, 2024.
Another partial human bone was found the next day on May 8, 2024.
Most read in Irish News
Forensic examination of the bones suggested he measured between 175cm and 181cm - putting him between 5ft 8in and 5ft 10in.
It remains unclear how the bones entered the water, when this happened, or how they got in there.
MISSING MYSTERY
This comes after it was revealed that
The dad of four left the Bonnington Hotel on February 9, but the last sighting was him passing Highfield
A true crime podcast series from
NEW SEARCHES
It emerged today that cops received a number of tips following the Where is Jon? podcast series.
And Jon's family told how it had resulted in new searches across a number of areas in Dublin with the assistance of human remains detection dogs.
While the searches last month proved unsuccessful, Mr Jónsson's brother David Karl Wiium insisted it was important to 'leave no stone unturned'.
He said: 'It's really important to basically leave no stone unturned and always look into every possibility at any given time.
'So that's very optimistic and it fills us with hope.'
1
The bones were found just off the coast of Skerries
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ian Bailey's solicitor welcomes any DNA breakthroughs in Sophie Tuscan du Plantier case
Ian Bailey's solicitor welcomes any DNA breakthroughs in Sophie Tuscan du Plantier case

Sunday World

time3 days ago

  • Sunday World

Ian Bailey's solicitor welcomes any DNA breakthroughs in Sophie Tuscan du Plantier case

It is hoped that that any evidence obtained will allow Forensic Science Ireland to make comparisons with DNA samples The solicitor of the late Ian Bailey has welcomed any breakthrough in the case of the murder of Sophie Tuscan du Plantier that could come from an advanced method of DNA collection. A garda cold case team is awaiting a report on whether M Vac Systems, a US DNA collection expert which has been used in a number of murder cases in the US, could identify her killer, according to The Irish Times. Exhibits being tested include the flat rock and large cavity block found at the scene and Ms Toscan du Plantier's dressing gown, leggings, vest and boots. It is hoped that that any evidence obtained will allow Forensic Science Ireland to make comparisons with DNA samples from some 10 people identified as suspects during the original Garda investigation. Speaking to RTÉ's This Week, solicitor Frank Buttimer said his former client had 'voluntarily provided DNA to establish his innocence' many years ago. Solicitor Frank Buttimer He described it as 'extraordinary' and 'worrying' that any alleged link or connection could be proposed given the passage of time and the fact the late Mr Bailey is 'not around to defend his name'. Asked whether the information should be made public in the event Mr Bailey's DNA is found at the scene, Mr Buttimer said: 'I'm sure that in certain quarters there would be a rush to provide such information. "Because in my belief, and certainly in my experience, that within certain sections of the police, there is still this ongoing belief that there is some kind of a link or connection between Mr Bailey and the crime that he has denied throughout his life from the time onwards that it happened, but I suspect that that would certainly emerge into the public domain for one reason or another. He said there has 'always been a rush to put Mr Bailey's name out there as being connected with this offence in certain quarters'. Sophie Tuscan Du Plantier. Picture by Patrick Zimmermann/AFP via Getty Images Mr Buttimer said there would be legal implications in the event that a suspect is identified. "Insofar as Ian Bailey is concerned, we have this thing in Irish law called the presumption of innocence. Ian Bailey is presumed innocent by the State of Ireland,' he said. "He was never prosecuted, as we know, a completely spurious case was taken against him in France, where he was found guilty, but that was a predictable event. "Were it to be the case that DNA points the finger in some other quarter, perhaps the French who were so vigorous in their pursuit of him might take time to reflect upon what happened to Ian Bailey during the course of his life." He said Mr Bailey was 'always hounded and pursued over the 27 or 28 years from the time of that dreadful crime to the time of his death, it destroyed his life.' Asked whether the DNA testing could provide a breakthrough in the case, Mr Buttimer said his understanding is that the technology has not been tested in the Irish courts. "The one thing that would be of concern to me would have been the idea that he's just not around to defend himself, if there was any suggestion of any connection between him and the sampling.' He said DNA evidence can be 'challenged' in certain circumstance and it is 'not the be all and end all of criminal investigation and forensic assessment'. "I would absolutely say that every avenue should be pursued of any inquiry that's available to get to the truth of this appalling crime,' he added. "It's a stain on on us, really, and it's a stain on our policing and our system. And if anything can be done, even at this late stage, I would absolutely welcome that.' British journalist Ian Bailey. Photo: Collins Today's News in 90 Seconds - 17 August

Ian Bailey's solicitor welcomes any breakthroughs from advanced DNA testing in Sophie Tuscan du Plantier case
Ian Bailey's solicitor welcomes any breakthroughs from advanced DNA testing in Sophie Tuscan du Plantier case

Irish Independent

time3 days ago

  • Irish Independent

Ian Bailey's solicitor welcomes any breakthroughs from advanced DNA testing in Sophie Tuscan du Plantier case

A garda cold case team is awaiting a report on whether M Vac Systems, a US DNA collection expert which has been used in a number of murder cases in the US, could identify her killer, according to The Irish Times. Exhibits being tested include the flat rock and large cavity block found at the scene and Ms Toscan du Plantier's dressing gown, leggings, vest and boots. It is hoped that that any evidence obtained will allow Forensic Science Ireland to make comparisons with DNA samples from some 10 people identified as suspects during the original Garda investigation. Speaking to RTÉ's This Week, solicitor Frank Buttimer said his former client had 'voluntarily provided DNA to establish his innocence' many years ago. He described it as 'extraordinary' and 'worrying' that any alleged link or connection could be proposed given the passage of time and the fact the late Mr Bailey is 'not around to defend his name'. Asked whether the information should be made public in the event Mr Bailey's DNA is found at the scene, Mr Buttimer said: 'I'm sure that in certain quarters there would be a rush to provide such information. "Because in my belief, and certainly in my experience, that within certain sections of the police, there is still this ongoing belief that there is some kind of a link or connection between Mr Bailey and the crime that he has denied throughout his life from the time onwards that it happened, but I suspect that that would certainly emerge into the public domain for one reason or another. He said there has 'always been a rush to put Mr Bailey's name out there as being connected with this offence in certain quarters'. Mr Buttimer said there would be legal implications in the event that a suspect is identified. "Insofar as Ian Bailey is concerned, we have this thing in Irish law called the presumption of innocence. Ian Bailey is presumed innocent by the State of Ireland,' he said. ADVERTISEMENT "He was never prosecuted, as we know, a completely spurious case was taken against him in France, where he was found guilty, but that was a predictable event. "Were it to be the case that DNA points the finger in some other quarter, perhaps the French who were so vigorous in their pursuit of him might take time to reflect upon what happened to Ian Bailey during the course of his life." He said Mr Bailey was 'always hounded and pursued over the 27 or 28 years from the time of that dreadful crime to the time of his death, it destroyed his life.' Asked whether the DNA testing could provide a breakthrough in the case, Mr Buttimer said his understanding is that the technology has not been tested in the Irish courts. "The one thing that would be of concern to me would have been the idea that he's just not around to defend himself, if there was any suggestion of any connection between him and the sampling.' He said DNA evidence can be 'challenged' in certain circumstance and it is 'not the be all and end all of criminal investigation and forensic assessment'. "I would absolutely say that every avenue should be pursued of any inquiry that's available to get to the truth of this appalling crime,' he added. "It's a stain on on us, really, and it's a stain on our policing and our system. And if anything can be done, even at this late stage, I would absolutely welcome that.'

Lawyer: 'Extraordinary' if DNA test links Bailey to death
Lawyer: 'Extraordinary' if DNA test links Bailey to death

RTÉ News​

time3 days ago

  • RTÉ News​

Lawyer: 'Extraordinary' if DNA test links Bailey to death

The solicitor who represented the late Ian Bailey, the chief suspect in the killing of French woman Sophie Toscan du Plantier, has said he would find it "extraordinary" if a new DNA test linked him to the murder scene. Frank Buttimer was speaking after it emerged that a garda cold case team is awaiting a report on whether the new advanced method of DNA collection has yielded results. The method, called M-VAC, has helped solve decades-old cold cases in the United States. Ms du Plantier's body was found on the laneway leading to her isolated holiday home near Schull in Co Cork on the morning of 26 December 1996. A post-mortem examination revealed she had been bludgeoned to death with a rock and a concrete block. Nobody has been charged in Ireland in connection with her murder. The rock and block as well as Ms du Plantier's dressing gown, leggings, vest and boots have been analysed by new technology, according to The Irish Times. Mr Buttimer represented Mr Bailey for over 20 years. Mr Bailey was the chief suspect in the murder of the French woman before his death last year. Commenting on the attempts to use new DNA techniques to advance the case, Mr Buttimer said that "before he was even obliged to do so" that Mr Bailey had voluntarily provided DNA to establish his innocence. Speaking on RTÉ's This Week programme, he said: "Where it to be extraordinarily now 28 years or whatever it is later that there was some alleged link or connection being proposed then I would have regarded that as being something extraordinary. "Second of all, somewhat worrying, bearing in mind the passage of time and, of course, thirdly, Mr Bailey is deceased and is not around to defend his name." Investigators are hoping that any DNA evidence obtained will enable Forensic Science Ireland to make comparisons with DNA samples obtained from some 10 people identified as suspects during the initial garda investigation, including Mr Bailey. Mr Buttimer said that if the DNA points towards the involvement of another suspect, then this is something that should be kept in mind by the French courts. Mr Bailey was convicted of Ms du Plantier's murder by a court in France in 2019 in a case that he did not attend. "Insofar as Ian Bailey is concerned, we have this thing in Irish law called the presumption of innocence," he said, adding "Ian Bailey is presumed innocent by the State of Ireland". Mr Buttimer said Mr Bailey was "never prosecuted, except for a completely spurious case that was taken against him in France, where he was found guilty - but that was a predictable event". "Where it to be the case that DNA points the finger in some other quarter, perhaps the French who were so vigorous in their pursuit of them, might take time to reflect upon that and what had happened badly during his life," he said. He added that Mr Bailey had been "pursued for over 27 or 28 years from the time of that dreadful crime to the time of his death", adding "it destroyed his life". The new DNA testing, from the US, has helped solve decade old cases, including the 1995 case of Crystal Lynn in Utah. She was 17 years old when she was killed with granite rocks and her death remained a cold case for 18 years. After the traditional methods of swabbing failed to deliver answers, M-VAC was applied to the bloodied rock. It got 42 times more than needed to generate a full profile, and subsequently led to the arrest and prosecution of a suspect in the case. Mr Buttimer said he was not familiar with M-VAC DNA testing method, adding it is important to remember that while DNA testing can assist a cold case, it has to be properly tested in court. "I do not think that it has been tested in the Irish courts," he said. "It seems to have had some success in the United States," he added. Regarding Mr Bailey, he said: "The one thing that would be of concern to me is that he is not around to defend himself. "I would have to say that DNA evidence in certain circumstances has also been challenged. "So, it is not the be all and end all of criminal investigation and forensic assessment." Mr Buttimer added such evidence can "be challenged, but absolutely every avenue should be pursued of any inquiry to get to the truth of this appalling crime", When asked if Mr Bailey's DNA is found, should that information be made public, Mr Buttimer said: "I am sure that in certain quarters there would be a rush to provide such information because in my belief, and certainly you know in my experience, within certain sections of the police, there is still this ongoing belief that there is a link or connection between Mr Bailey and the crime, which he has denied throughout his life". "Ian Bailey was identified as the suspect even while he was in Bandon police station in February 1997, there was a rush at that point in trying to expose him," he said. "There's always been a rush to put Mr Bailey's name out there as being connected with this offence," he added. In a statement to RTÉ's This Week programme, gardaí said the investigation into the murder of Ms du Plantier remains active and ongoing. It added that An Garda Síochána makes operational decisions on the release of information on a case-by-case basis.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store