Gardaí are awaiting the results of a postmortem examination on the body of a man found in an apartment block corridor in the Grove Court complex in the centre of Mullingar, Co Westmeath, yesterday morning.
The dead man was Tony Kelly, who was in his 30s and originally from Strabane, Co Tyrone. He had been living in an apartment in the gated Grove Court complex with at least one other person.
He managed a local newsagents and was in a relationship with a person from the area.
The Irish Times understands Mr Kelly had been held hostage in a so-called "tiger raid" in Northern Ireland some years ago.
Mr Kelly’s remains were discovered just outside the door of his ground floor apartment. Garda sources said he had a head injury and had a large amount of blood on his head and face.
Gardaí were called immediately after the remains were found and the area was sealed off. The State Pathologist, Prof Marie Cassidy carried out a preliminary examination of the remains at the scene before they were removed to the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar.
A postmortem will be carried out by Prof Cassidy at the hospital this morning. Gardaí are awaiting the results before deciding the direction of their investigation.
Gardaí are treating the death as suspicious but say the postmortem will establish if Mr Kelly might have died accidentally.
Door-to-door inquiries were conducted in the apartment block yesterday.
The investigating team has received a number of confirmed sightings of Mr Kelly in Mullingar on Sunday. Gardaí are trying to piece together his last movements and are studying CCTV from around the town.
They have appealed for anybody who was in the Grove Street area between 6pm on Sunday and 9am yesterday or who may have information to contact them in Mullingar on (044) 9384000.