3 days ago
Woman who died in Galway house fire was a death row survivor
The woman who tragically lost her life in a Galway house fire has been named locally as American woman Sonia 'Sunny' Jacobs - a Florida death row survivor and author.
'Sunny', (76) and a man in his 30s, understood to be her carer, were pronounced dead at the scene of the fatal fire at a detached bungalow at Gleann Mac Mhuireann in Connemara.
Gardai and Fire Services were alerted to the fire at around 6.20am on Tuesday. The fire was brought under control by Fire Services and the bodies of Ms Jacobs and the man in his 30s were recovered from inside the house.
The scene remained preserved for a technical examination while both bodies have been transported to the mortuary at University Hospital Galway for post-mortem examinations. It is understood the deceased were the only occupants of the house at the time the blaze broke out.
Paying tribute to Ms Pringle, a close friend Abraham J. Bonowitz, described her as 'a true hero' and a 'champion for justice.' In a post on social media, Mr Bonowitz, who is a founder at Death Penalty Action in Ohio, USA, wrote: 'I am sad to share news of the passing of my dear friend, a true hero and a champion for Justice, Sunny Jacobs.'
'Sunny' ,whose husband Peter Pringle, who passed away in 2022, was also a death row survivor and they met in Galway before getting married.
Nearly 50 years ago, in 1976, 'Sunny' and her then partner were wrongfully sentenced to death by the Florida courts for the murder of two police men. 'Sunny' was 28 years of age and a mother of two children. In 1993, 17 years later she was exonerated.
Her late husband Peter, who died in December 2022 at the age of 84, was also wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death for murdering two gardai in a bank raid in Roscommon in 1980.
He had served 15 years in jail before he was released in 1995 after his convictions were deemed unsafe and quashed by the Court of Criminal Appeal after the court found his convictions to be unsafe and unsatisfactory.
'Sunny' and Peter met in Galway after Sunny travelled there to speak at an Amnesty International event in 1998 and they married in 2012.
The couple in Connemara where they established The Sunny Centre to help other death row survivors and those who've been wrongfully convicted.
Sunny also wrote a book entitled 'Stolen TIme' about her story as an innocent woman condemned to death. Local councillor Michael Leainde said everyone in the area is in 'complete shock' at the tragic deaths.
'Gleann Mhac Mhuireann is around 12km from Casla in Connemara and it's a very small area of around 10 to 12 houses and everyone is deeply saddened and in complete shock,' Cllr Leainde told Irish Mirror.
'It's a huge shock for the area and everyone is upset. I want to offer my deepest condolences to the family involved,' he said. 'It's a very small area of around 10 to 12 houses and everyone is deeply saddened and in complete shock,' Cllr Leainde told Irish Mirror. 'It's a huge shock for the area and everyone is upset. I want to offer my deepest condolences to the family involved,' he said.
In a statement, An Garda Siochana said: 'Gardai in Co Galway are investigating all of the circumstances surrounding the death of two individuals following a fatal house fire in Casla, Co Galway, on Tuesday, June 3.
'At approximately 6:20am, Gardaí and Fire Services were alerted to a house fire at Gleann Mhic Mhuireann. The fire was brought under control by Fire Services and the bodies of a woman aged in her 70s and a man in his 30s were recovered from inside the house.
'The scene has been preserved for a technical examination. Both bodies have been transported to the Mortuary at University Hospital Galway for post-mortem examinations. The results of the post mortems, along with the findings of the technical examination, will determine the course of the Garda investigation.
'The local Coroner has been informed. Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to come forward,' the statement continued.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Clifden Garda Station on 095 22500, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
