THE SISTER of the late Emer O’Loughlin says her family “have always known” she was murdered.
Pam O’Loughlin was speaking yesterday after gardaí had announced a murder investigation into the death of her sister (23).
The Garda launched the investigation on Wednesday after new tests on Ms O’Loughlin’s remains confirmed that she had been murdered five years ago in a mobile home on a site on the Clare-Galway border.
The tests at University College Hospital Galway were carried out by forensic anthropologist Dr Lorraine Buckley and Assistant State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis.
Gardaí from Gort Garda station and the Dublin-based Serious Crime Review Team, which re-examines “cold cases”, are leading the investigation.
Pam O’Loughlin said: “We have always known that Emer had been murdered, there was never any doubt in our minds. I don’t know what impact this will have on the investigation, hopefully it will be a positive result.”
She added: “We believe that Emer’s killer will be found and we have always believed this.”
John O’Loughlin said yesterday that gardaí had not told the family the cause of her death. “We still don’t know how she died. The gardaí told us that they found marks on Emer’s bones in the tests that were done.”
Mr O’Loughlin, a school bus driver, said his daughter would have fought back against her attacker.
“That’s the type of girl she was, she had great character.”
The chief suspect in the case travelled to the Aran Islands days after the case where it is thought he faked his own suicide. He has since fled the country.
“Why did he disappear if he had nothing to hide?,” Mr O’Loughlin asked. “There is someone out there with information covering up for him and I want to appeal that they come forward and tell the truth.”
Mr O’Loughlin said gardaí had confirmed that Emer was ready to be returned to the family and she would be re-interred in the next number of days.
As part of an online campaign seeking information aimed at apprehending her suspected killer, Pam O’Loughlin has set up a Facebook page, stating that she “was taken from us in the most brutal and horrific fashion”.
Ms O’Loughlin said: “The online campaigns were started primarily to keep Emer’s case in the public eye and in the hope that it may spur people who have information to come forward to the police. Whether they have had any impact on the actual investigation itself is unknown.”
North Clare councillor and Ennistymon businessman Martin Conway (FG) said yesterday: “I know the O’Loughlin family very well and their desperate tragedy is being prolonged by the fact that the killer has not been brought to justice.
“Five years ago, the community was shocked and numbed by the tragedy, but there is a deep sense of injustice that nothing has happened over apprehending the killer.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Gort Garda station on (091) 636 400 or the Garda confidential line, 1 800 666 111.
