GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING the deaths of a family of four in Wexford at the weekend say nothing has emerged in their backgrounds to indicate a motive for the deaths.
Postmortem examinations on the bodies of Diarmuid Flood (41), his wife Lorraine (38), and children Mark (6) and Julie (5), had to be suspended yesterday after asbestos was found in their burnt home in Clonroche.
The Garda's technical examination of the scene was also suspended after the asbestos was discovered. Gardaí will resume the inspection at first light this morning.
Third-party involvement in the deaths has been ruled out and gardaí are working on the theory that it was a murder-suicide.
The bodies of the family of four have been removed to the State mortuary in Marino, Dublin, for postmortem. While those examinations were begun yesterday by Deputy State Pathologist Dr Declan Gilsenan, they were suspended because of health fears relating to the asbestos.
The examinations were due to be resumed this morning and results are expected to be known later today.
The four bodies were found in the home at around dawn on Saturday. Ms Flood's body was found in bed in the couple's upstairs bedroom and her husband's body was found in one of the reception rooms downstairs.
Julie was found in her bed while Mark was found on the landing.
A legally held shotgun was found at the scene. The shotgun is owned by a third party. However, the weapon was loaned to Mr Flood some years ago and kept in his house, while the licence was maintained by the original owner.
Mr Flood's body and that of his son had sustained burn injuries. However, Ms Flood's body and that of her daughter were almost completely untouched by the fire.
Ms Flood had injuries which appear to have been caused by gunfire. While the postmortems have not yet been concluded, gardaí are satisfied Mr Flood also died of a single gunshot wound.
One line of inquiry being explored is that Mr Flood shot his wife before setting the house on fire and finally turning the gun on himself.
The children had not been shot and had no trauma injuries. It was still unclear last night if they had died of smoke inhalation or if they were dead or incapacitated before the fire started.
Local gardaí are being assisted in their inquiries by the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI), the force's Dublin-based serious crime squad.
The NBCI assists in the investigation of some murders.
Garda sources said the first two days of the investigation had unearthed nothing that might indicate a family in crisis. The Floods were said to have been a popular, outgoing family with no known money worries, relationship difficulties, substance abuse issues or history of mental illness.
"Obviously it might take a few days before a motive becomes clear but at this stage nothing has emerged," said one Garda source.
Mr Flood ran the family's water filtration business. His wife was a fitness instructor and had represented Waterford at the Rose of Tralee.
Gardaí have spoken to the couple's family and friends in an effort to establish what may have led to the tragedy.
While nothing of any note has emerged from those interviews, more people will be spoken to in coming days. The couple's telephone records will also be studied in an effort to establish if any unusual event had taken place in the period leading to their deaths.
Gardaí said they were aware of local reports that Mr Flood had gone to see a doctor in recent days for stress-related difficulties and another report that a phone call was made from their house at about 5.30am on Saturday.
However, the truth or significance of these events had yet to be established.
