Gardaí have launched a renewed appeal for information as part of a long running investigation into the death of 81-year-old Michael Crowe, a pensioner who was killed when a fire broke out in his Kildare home in October 2009.
The fire broke out in the home in Pairc Mhuire, Newbridge, at around 6am on Sunday morning October 4th 2009. A spokeswoman for the gardaí said “Michael’s family, who were in the house at the time, managed to escape however Michael was unable to do so, and as a result he died of injuries sustained.”
Gardaí investigating the scene of the fire began an initial investigation and treated the death as suspicious at the time. Earlier in the morning, at around 2am, a paving stone was thrown through the front window of the home.
A spokeswoman for the gardaí said the case was an ongoing and live investigation. Local gardaí working on the murder case have taken just under 700 statements and followed hundreds of lines of enquiry into the fire.
Inspector Mel Smyth of Newbridge garda station said “today we are again seeking the assistance from any member of the public who may have any information which may assist in this investigation into the murder of Michael Crowe.”
“We would appeal in particular to anyone who may have been in or around Pairc Mhuire estate on the morning of Sunday 4th October, 2009 between 2am and 6am to contact us” Ms Smyth said.
Mr Crowe was taken to Naas General Hospital, but died shortly after he was taken from the house by emergency services. He was a retired Bord na Mona employee.
Mr Crowe’s wife Betty and his son Thomas were injured in the fire, and received treatment for injuries sustained escaping the fire.
Anyone with information relating to the incident, or who was in the area between 2am and 6am on the morning of the fire are being urged to contact Newbridge garda station at 045 440180, or the garda confidential line at 1800 666111.
