A man initially believed to have died accidentally in a fire in his Co Kerry home five years ago may have been killed with a hammer head found in the burned-out property, gardaí have said.
During a fresh appeal for information about the death James Cahillane, a father of two who lived alone near Killorglin, Supt Flor McCarthy said it was believed the hammer was brought to the house by an intruder.
He said the attacker possibly lay in wait for the deceased on April 19th, 2012, as he returned to his home after a night out in Killorglin.
A body was found in the hallway of the bungalow at Ardraw, Beaufort, after neighbours raised the alarm at 2.05am, having noticed the fire.
Mr Cahillane’s remains underwent a postmortem 30 hours after being recovered from the house, and it established he had suffered blows to his body and head and that his house was deliberately set on fire, Supt McCarthy told a press conference in Killarney.
He said gardaí now believe the murder weapon was a hammer head found inside as it was consistent with the injuries inflicted on Mr Cahillane.
Supt McCarthy refused to comment on whether the scene was preserved enough for a proper forensic examination from the outset.
He said gardaí, like the Cahillane family, were extremely frustrated at the fact the case had not been concluded despite extensive inquiries. He said renewed appeals often brought new and necessary information to light.
“I am convinced there are people in Killarney and the mid-Kerry area who may have information. Five years have passed and associations and loyalties will have changed.”
Appeal for help
Supt McCarthy asked people in the Beaufort area, and particularly the town of Killorglin, to come forward.
He said two people, a man and a woman, arrested at the time were still of interest. A file had been sent to the DPP but said he would not disclose the directions.
A series of burglaries happened in the Killorglin and Beaufort areas in 2012 before and after Mr Cahillane’s violent death. One line of inquiry is that Mr Cahillane may have died after he confronted the intruder in his home.
Mr Cahillane’s daughter, Lisa (34), said the past five years had been very difficult for herself and her brother, Gary.
The trauma of finding out their father was murdered had overshadowed their grief at his death.
“We can’t believe five years have gone by and we still don’t have any answers,” she said. “He was a good man, a good father, quiet, gentle, never confrontational . . . It’s been incredibly hard. We still don’t have any answers for this crime.”
Ms Cahillane said there would have been nothing of great value in the house, and that her father would have had only the cash in his wallet.
She said it was also upsetting for them that, in a small community, it was known arrests had been made, and there was also the fear it could happen again.