Gardaí investigating the murder of Daniel McAnaspie who went missing while in State care believe more than one person was involved in the teenager's death.
The body of the 17-year-old, who was originally from Finglas in Dublin, was found dumped in a ditch on farmland in Co Meath last week.
At a briefing in Finglas Garda station today, Supt John Gilligan confirmed Daniel died from multiple stab wounds to the upper body.
Supt Gilligan described the killing as a “desperate act” against an innocent young man, and vowed gardaí would pursue the case to the end.
He said detectives were already following up to 450 different lines of inquiry in relation to the murder.
Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon, Minister for Children Barry Andrews offered his condolences to the McAnaspie family and said the Government was committed to implementing Children First guidelines for the protection and welfare of children.
The guidelines were first introduced by the Government in 1999 to provide guidance to staff working in child protection.
Daniel was living at a care home operated by Health Service Executive in Donabate, north Co Dublin, when he failed to return there on the night of February 25th last.
He was seen in the company of friends outside the Erin’s Isle GAA club in Finglas earlier that day.
Daniel is known to have later gone to the Whitestown area of Blanchardstown where he was last seen at 3.30am on the morning of February 26th. "We believe this was the first time Daniel was in the area of Whitestown and Blanchardstown," Supt Gilligan said.
He said Daniel was taken way in the early hours of that day and "never seen again". His body was discovered in a ditch by a farmer in the townland of Gillianstown in Rathfeigh, Co Meath last Thursday.
Gardaí said his remains were discovered some 200 metres from the N2 road between Ashbourne and Slane. "We don't know how Daniel's body ended up here or if he was brought alive to this place," Supt Gilligan said.
"It is my belief more than one person was involved, but the investigation team had to keep a very clear head on this."
Supt Gilligan said it would have taken about 25 minutes at that time of the night to drive the 25 kilometres from Whitestown to where Daniel's body was found in Co Meath.
He expressed his and the gardaí’s condolences to the family, saying Daniel was a fine young man who was well respected by his family, and who had never been any trouble to the gardaí.
Garda Dave Dowling, who is leading the investigation, said: “We are asking anyone who is living in that area or who has any knowledge of how Daniel’s body got there to contact gardaí at Blanchardstown [01 666-7000].”
He urged anyone who might have seen lights in the field late at night or in the early hours over recent months to come forward.
One of six siblings whose father died in 1996 and whose mother died in 2007, Daniel could not read or write and had been in the care of the HSE since 2003.
Daniel's elder sister Catríona McAnaspie claimed yesterday her brother did not get the assistance he required while in care.
More than 20 children have died in the care system over the past decade but Daniel McAnaspie is the first to have been murdered.
