GARDAI INVESTIGATING the murder of teenager Daniel McAnaspie have interviewed close associates he was with during his last hours and have ruled them out as suspects.
Detectives are now working on the theory that the 17-year-old, who was in State care when he disappeared and was stabbed to death, was killed by young men he had never met previously.
They believe at least two men stabbed the youth, who was from Finglas in Dublin, and then put his body into a car before dumping the remains between fields at Gilliamstown, Rathfeigh, Co Meath.
His body was found by a landowner last Thursday. The decomposed remains were found in a drain between two fields about 200m off the old Dublin to Derry road, near Duleek.
The last confirmed sighting of the deceased was on the street at Whitestown Avenue, Blanchardstown, west Dublin, at about 3.30am on Friday, February 26th.
He was living in Health Service Executive (HSE) care in a house in Donabate, north Dublin, and had gone to Finglas to meet people he knew on the afternoon of February 25th.
He travelled with these young men by car to Whitestown Avenue. He spent the evening with these people and also mixed with local young people. Later, his friends left the area, leaving the teenager with the young people he had met that day.
His friends have been traced by gardaí and following interviews have been ruled out as suspects.
Investigating officers believe members of the group with whom the youth remained on with were drinking on the road at Whitestown Avenue and in a number of houses into the early hours of February 26th.
Gardaí believe the deceased became involved in a row in Whitestown with men slightly older than him and was fatally stabbed in the throat and upper body.
It is unclear if his remains were then taken the 25km to Gilliamstown to be dumped when he was stabbed or some time later.
The dead teenager was one of six siblings and was described as “vulnerable”. His mother died in 2007 and his father has been dead since 1996. He had been in HSE care since 2003. His siblings have already criticised the level of care provided to him by the executive.
They have called for a public inquiry into the circumstances of his death while in care and have enlisted the assistance of wellknown solicitor Michael Finucane.
Supt John Gilligan said while the youth’s remains had not been found for 11 weeks, they had yielded important forensic evidence.
Investigating officers have enlisted the assistance of an entomologist to determine how long the remains had lain where they were found. Supt Gilligan appealed for local people in Gilliamstown for assistance. “People may have seen lights in a field late at night or on that morning, February 26th, it would have been dark well into the morning.”
Locals may also have seen cars checking the area in the days after the disappearance, when the body may have been dumped.
He also said people in the Whitestown area who had information on the killing may be more willing to assist gardaí at this time because the teenager’s body had now been found. “We believe there are people out there who have information, who may be able to help us. They can come forward in confidence.”
Teams of gardaí were working in Finglas and Whitestown. These would “work through” any intimidation of people in either area by those responsible for the killing.
Supt Gilligan said the dead youth was a “fine young man” and that a Garda investigation would continue until the suspects were caught. Anybody with information is asked to contact Blanchardstown gardaí on 01-6667500.
