Gardaí investigating the discovery of human remains in a lake in Co Clare are expected to launch a murder inquiry after it emerged that a concrete block had been attached to the body.
Although gardaí are formally awaiting the completion of a postmortem examination, detectives are looking at the possibility that the remains may be that of a young Limerick man who fell foul of a drugs gang.
Gardaí are hoping that the post-mortem will assist in establishing if the body is that of Richard "Happy" Kelly (17) from O'Malley Park, Limerick, who was last seen on April 24th, 2006.
The discovery was first made by anglers taking part in a competition when one of their lines snagged.
The fishermen did not immediately suspect what the object might have been and it only came to light on Tuesday evening during the course of a conversation with others that the object recovered could have been part of a human remains.
The anglers alerted gardaí in Killaloe.
Mr Kelly had left his own house in O'Malley Park to babysit his then six-month-old child at his former girlfriend's house and has not been seen since, despite extensive appeals for information on his whereabouts.
Gardaí suspect Mr Kelly may have fallen foul of a drugs gang in Limerick in a dispute over a car which contained a large consignment of drugs.
Members of the Garda Water Unit continued their search yesterday of Lough Brigid in the townland of Ballinahinch near Bodyke in east Clare and recovered more human body parts.
Divers also carried out several searches of the area on Thursday and recovered several body parts, including a skull.
Evidence of what appeared to be a red Reebok tracksuit is also understood to have been found at the location.
Members of the Garda Technical Bureau Crime Scene Investigation team, including officers from the Garda mapping section, arrived at the scene yesterday morning and were taken out on the lake in a dinghy.
On their return to shore, three evidence bags containing large objects were removed from the dinghy and taken away.
It is believed gardaí also recovered a concrete block with part of a rope attached and another heavy object which officers believe was used to weigh down the body.
A Garda spokesman has confirmed the remains have been removed to the city morgue in Dublin where a postmortem will be carried out by the State Pathologist's Office to ascertain the identity of the body and the cause of death.
Gardaí sealed off the area to preserve it as a potential crime scene just 20 yards from the shore at an area known as Silvergrove Shore.