Gardaí have begun a murder investigation after it was confirmed the woman found dead in the Phoenix Park in Dublin yesterday had been stabbed.
A postmortem found that the woman, who has yet to be identified, had been stabbed a number of times in the upper body.
The victim was discovered by two women walking in the park at 3.30pm yesterday. The body was found wrapped in a sleeping bag near Military Road close to the Islandbridge gate.
Gardaí said the woman is believed to have been homeless and aged between 30 and 40. She is described as being five feet, three inches tall, of medium build with shoulder-length brown hair. She was found fully clothed, wearing a grey-green fleece top with a red and blue striped rugby-style jersey underneath. She was also wearing three-quarter length loose-fitting pink leggings and gold nail varnish on her toes.
She had a gold chain with a St Anthony’s medal tied on with string, a silver cross and chain, and gold hoop earrings described as Creole-style. A white scarf and black zip-up jacket were found near her body.
A woman's black bicycle was also discovered near the scene. Detectives do not know if this belonged to the woman or if it was in any way connected to the killing.
Gardaí today appealed today for anybody who may have been near the wooded area close to the changing rooms beside the sports fields known locally as the 15 Acres over the last three days to contact them. They also asked anyone who has a neighbour or friend who matches the dead woman’s description and hasn’t seen them for a number of days to get in touch.
They are also appealing to the two people who initially found the body to contact them. Detectives said the pair told another person who raised the alarm.
“We are keeping an open mind and we are asking anyone that has any information or can help identify this woman to come forward,” said a Garda spokesman.
Garda sources said last night the area of the park where the body was found is regularly frequented by homeless people. “One concern at this stage is that no homeless people have come forward to report any of their own missing, which would usually happen,” said a Garda source.