The post-mortem carried out on the Ennis teenager who was murdered last weekend has revealed that she died by strangulation.
The post-mortem on Lorraine O'Connor was carried by the assistant State pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, at Limerick's Mid-Western Regional Hospital on Wednesday evening. Further tests were carried out yesterday.
Supt John Kerin, of Ennis Garda station, said he was liaising with Interpol as part of the investigation to locate a man believed to be in England after he abandoned a car belonging to the O'Connor family at Cork Airport.
Garda∅ have not revealed the identity of the man, who is understood to have been identified on a closed circuit camera at the airport. He apparently boarded an Aer Lingus flight to Heathrow Airport on Sunday.
Meanwhile, garda∅ are anxious to interview the boyfriend of Ms O'Connor after he went missing last weekend. The man, who is in his late 20s, recently celebrated the second anniversary of his relationship with Ms O'Connor.
He had been living at the O'Connor home on Showgrounds Road but was in the process of moving into the apartment where Ms O'Connor was found dead on Tuesday evening, hours after the Toyota Carina, owned by the family, was found at Cork Airport.
Like Ms O'Connor, the boyfriend was employed at Grace McCarthy's Bar, off the Market Square in Ennis, which is run by Mr Derrick O'Connor, a brother of the murder victim.
Garda∅ have confirmed that approximately £2,500 is missing from the bar, apparently from the Saturday night takings, and that a separate investigation into the theft is going on.
The bar has closed temporarily due to the family bereavement.