Gardaí yesterday described as an "important find" the location of the weapon used in the murder of Ennis hackney driver Mr Liam Moloney (56) last weekend.
The weapon, a kitchen knife, was found on the floor beside the handbrake of Mr Moloney's maroon-coloured hackney cab.
A forensic examination of the knife, which has an eight-inch blade, has been completed by Garda forensic scientists. However Supt John Kerin yesterday declined to reveal the results of the tests on the knife.
"Due to the nature of the investigation and in its interests, we are not prepared to outline the result of the analysis of the tests of the knife," he said.
The forensic examination of the car continued yesterday and Supt Kerin said that the examination is to continue for another couple of days.
However, despite finding the murder weapon, gardaí still have no definite leads on the murder of Mr Moloney.
There has been an unprecedented public response to the murder, with over 1,500 people interviewed in the six days of investigation.
Supt Kerin said yesterday gardaí remained open-minded about the motive.
Mr Moloney's body was found with multiple stab wounds in a field at Port House, Ruan, six miles from Ennis last Saturday. The former Aer Lingus worker was murdered in his hackney cab between 7.30 p.m. and 8.20 p.m. on Friday night.
Supt Kerin yesterday issued an appeal for a driver of red or maroon-coloured taxi to come forward to help gardaí with their inquiries.
"A number of people have come forward who observed a red or maroon-coloured taxi with a taxi-roof sign in the area of Port House, Ruan, driving towards Ennis around 8.05 p.m."
All taxi-drivers in Clare have been interviewed. Supt Kerin said gardaí are extremely anxious to trace whoever was driving that car and any passengers.
"The emphasis on this is because a number of people have told us that they observed a car at the entrance to Port House with its lights on and Mr Moloney's body was being left there at that time."
Supt Kerin renewed his appeal in relation to Mr Moloney's car and suspicious activity in the village of Barefield during the crucial 50-minute time-frame in which Mr Moloney was murdered. During this time, Mr Moloney was killed in his cab, his body was dumped in a field and his car was abandoned by his killer at Barefield.
The superintendent said whoever committed the crime had to have blood on them. People had to see the killer or killers hitching or getting a lift in Barefield. No progress had been made to date on mobile phone activity in the Ruan-Barefield area.
