The body of a man found in the freezer unit of a Galway city fish shop last week may have been there for almost four years, it emerged today.
Gardaí named the dead man this afternoon as Patrick McCormack (52), aka Patrick Wynne, from Upper Artane Cottages, Malahide, Co Dublin.
"It is believed Patrick McCormack was last seen in October 2003 and that he had possession of an Opel Vectra car registration number 97 D 9981", a Garda statement said.
Gardaí asked anyone with information about Mr McCormack or his car to contact Galway Garda station on 091-538070.
Gardaí would not comment on reports that they suspect his death may be drugs-related. Supt Tom Curley of Mill Street Garda station said the investigation was making progress but that it was at an early stage and they were still keeping an "open mind".
The investigation is now a murder inquiry, but the cause of death cannot be established until a postmortem is carried out by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis today. The delay has been caused by the frozen state of the body. It had to be allowed to thaw gradually to ensure that no forensic evidence was lost.
The body was discovered by a staff member of a fish shop in a freezer unit behind the premises in Henry Street, Galway, last Wednesday, and gardaí were contacted immediately.
Dr Curtis carried out a preliminary examination of the scene, and the body was transferred to University College Hospital Galway.
An examination of the location was conducted by the Garda technical bureau.