GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING the murder of a woman found stabbed to death in Dublin’s Phoenix Park have issued a photograph of her in the hope somebody will come forward and identify her.
The investigators took the unusual step of circulating the dead woman’s photograph to the media after no leads emerged as to her identity some three days after she was murdered.
The remains of the woman, who was aged in her 30s or 40s, were discovered in a wooded area off Military Road between the Islandbridge and Chapelizod gates of the park close to playing fields known as “the 15 acres”.
Two people out walking saw the body at 3.30pm on Wednesday and went to a nearby house within the park and raised the alarm.
Gardaí believe the woman was killed where her remains were found and that she was most likely murdered on Tuesday night.
Gardaí have received a number of reports of men in the area on Tuesday night, but it is unclear who they were or if any of them is linked to the murder.
The remains were found fully clothed and there was no sign of a sexual assault. The victim had been stabbed eight times in the chest area in what Garda sources described as a “frenzied attack”.
While a blanket was found close to the body no effort had been made to conceal the remains.
Garda searches of the area failed to uncover the murder weapon. The woman may have been a foreign national whose absence may not have been reported because she may not have family or a large circle of friends here. Garda sources said given the condition of the remains they do not believe the woman was homeless or was certainly not homeless for a long period.
However, gardaí have visited a number of homeless hostels in Dublin city in an effort to find anyone who knew the dead woman. After those inquiries came to nothing it was decided to release her photograph.
The release of a photograph of a murder victim is not unprecedented, but is unusual.
The victim is described as being aged between 30 and 40 years, 147cm (4ft 10in) in height and of medium build. She had brown hair, which was “almost shoulder-length”.
She was wearing a grey or green fleece top and a red and blue striped rugby top. She also wore three-quarter length loose-fitting pink leggings.
Thick woolly socks and shoes, believed to belong to the woman, were found close to her body. A black bicycle was discovered nearby. The victim’s toenails were painted gold.
She wore a gold chain necklace with a St Anthony’s medal affixed with a piece of string. She was also wearing a chain necklace with a silver cross and gold hoop type earrings described as “creole-type”.
A white scarf and black zip-up top were also found near the body.
Anyone with information should contact Cabra gardaí on 01-6667400.
