Gardai finish search at Drogheda house after man arrested on suspicion of murdering Kyran Durnin, 8, amid second probe
GARDAI have confirmed that they have completed a search at a house in Drogheda after a man was this morning arrested on suspicion murdering of Kyran Durnin.
Investigating Gardai today commenced searches at two houses in Drogheda, Co Louth and have since completed a probe at one property.
Further details of this search are not being released for “operational reasons”, gardai said.
The searches are being carried out by cops who hope that it will help them find evidence that might “provide us with information” as to Kyran’s whereabouts or what may have happened to the schoolboy.
Kyran, who would now be eight-years-old, is presumed dead after he was reported missing from his home in Drogheda on August 30 of this year.
Over the month of September, as Gardai began their initial enquiries, it’s understood a person came forward and told cops they believed the eight-year-old was dead.
Gardai have since established that he was last seen alive at a primary school in Dundalk in May 2022 but there have been no confirmed sightings of him since then.
A murder investigation was launched in October after Gardai investigating his disappearance were unable to find any evidence that the schoolboy was still alive.
The arrested man continues to be detained under Section Four of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Garda Station in the east of the country.
He can be held for up to 24 hours, excluding breaks in interviewing, before cops will have to release or charge him.
A search at the second house continues and is expected to continue for a period of time.
Both the house and gardens will be subject to “intrusive search” and subject to technical and forensic examinations.
It is being carried out by the Divisional Search team, supported by the Garda National Technical Bureau, Divisional Scene of Crime and Forensic Science Ireland.
The search is also being supported by a specialist Cadaver dog.
In a statement this morning, a Gardai said: “An Garda Siochana continues to appeal to any person with any information, on the disappearance and murder of Kyran Durnin, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to contact the Garda Investigation Team at Drogheda Garda Station on 041 987 4200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or speak with any member of An Garda Siochana.”
They added: “A Garda spokesperson is not available.”
WOMAN RELEASED WITHOUT CHARGE
The arrest today marks another major move in the case after Gardai arrested a woman on Wednesday and released her without charge yesterday.
She was lifted on suspicion of murder under Section Four of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 on Tuesday after in Ireland from abroad.
The 24-year-old woman, who knew Kyran, was let go after being quizzed by specialist detectives while detained at a Garda station in the east of the country.
Following her release, it means she can leave the country once more.
What the woman said in her interviews during her 24 hours of questioning will ultimately form part of what is sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
However, the investigation is not at this stage yet.
A search at Kyran’s former family home was conducted in October and its garden was dug up a short time after the murder probe was launched but nothing was found from the excavation.
Gardai stressed that the current tenants of the house were not connected in any way with Kyran or his disappearance.
PLEA FOR INFO
Anyone with information about Kyran is asked to contact Drogheda Station.
A Garda spokesperson previously said: “An Garda Siochana continue to appeal to anyone who has any information in connection with the disappearance of Kyran to contact investigating Gardaí.
“Do not rule out any information that you may have.
“Please do not assume that the investigation team know the information that you may have.
“Any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, will be welcomed by the investigation team. This information will be treated in the strictest confidence.”
They added: “You can contact the Garda Investigation Team at Drogheda Garda Station on 041 987 4200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or speak with any member of An Garda Siochana.”
QUESTIONS RAISED
Meanwhile, the case has raised questions about Tulsa – which had engaged with Kyran’s family – and Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman previously said there were “very clearly failings” in the case.
The Green Party leader engaged with the Independent National Review Panel to investigate while the case with the gardai was still ongoing and the report was received by his department last month.
It was not released due to the ongoing Garda investigation.
A separate report requested in relation to information held by Tusla’s Education Support Service has been shared with Minister for Education Norma Foley.
Taoiseach Simon Harris previously admitted Kyran was failed by the State.
Harris said: “The case of Kyran Durnin is deeply disturbing, deeply upsetting and in fact I would go as far as to say it is utterly horrifying for any of us, as a human being, as a parent, to think that a child could effectively disappear unnoticed and not be noticed that they are not there is utterly heartbreaking.”
The Fine Gael leader said “clearly something went extraordinarily wrong here”.
He added: “This child was failed, failed badly. While I’m not going to say anything that will cut across the Garda investigation, let that run its course, that’s very very important, as Taoiseach I will make sure we get to the bottom of this.
“How was this child failed? An eight-year-old little boy, effectively disappearing and not noticed, there is nobody in Ireland, including me, that could comprehend that.
“So whatever needs to be done to establish from an accountability point of view how Kyran was failed must happen.”