The family of a man who disappeared more than a year ago face an anxious wait today as forensic experts work to identify a skull and human remains found in a wooded area of Co Wicklow.
Gardaí discovered skeletal remains and several objects, which may have belonged to the deceased, yesterday when they resumed searching a wooded area in Ballyfolan, close to Blessington.
Garda dog teams and technical units have been searching the area for several days following the discovery of a human skull by forestry workers last Thursday. The skull, which is estimated to belong to a male between the age of 18 and 50, has been sent to the State laboratory for identification.
Gardaí have sought the help of a forensic anthropologist to help their investigation. DNA tests are expected to be concluded shortly.
Relatives of Paul Byrne, a 20-year-old from Tallaght who went missing last year, attended the scene of the search operation on Friday and said they fear the human remains could be his.
Byrne, who is a father of two children, was last seen getting into a car outside his home on July 15th, 2009. His family fear he was murdered and his body hidden.
Several objects have been found at the scene including a set of keys, a bracelet and track suit bottoms, which are expected to help the identification process.
A Garda spokesman said yesterday the remains had not been formally identified and searches of the wooded area were expected to continue over the next few days.
Detectives recently renewed a public appeal for information on Byrne's case on the first anniversary of his disappearance. If the remains belong to the missing father they are likely to change the status of their investigation to a murder inquiry.
Paul Byrne was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with a red Nike emblem, grey tracksuit bottoms and white K-Swiss runners on July 15th, 2009.
State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy attended the scene on Thursday evening and determined that the skull probably belonged to a man. The best estimates provided so far suggest the skull was lying on the ground of the wooded area for between one and 20 years. However, the State Pathologist's office is expected to establish how long the human remains had been in the area shortly.
Supt Eamonn Keogh of Baltinglass Garda station told reporters on Friday animals may have moved human remains around the site. He said there were animal bones in the area.
The area is in a hilly area of Co Wicklow with few houses and fields populated by sheep. The terrain is making the search operation difficult for gardaí.