DNA tests confirm body parts those of Kenneth O’Brien

Gardaí investigating the murder of Kenneth O’Brien whose remains have been found dumped at a number of locations believe he was killed and dismembered close to where his body parts have been found.

They were last night confirmed as being those of the dead man, after DNA samples taken from his family were cross-checked against the partial remains.

While the 33-year-old father of one had no known involvement in organised crime during his lifetime, investigating officers believe the killing and disposal of his remains was well planned and carried by out several experienced criminals working together.

They believe his killers are involved in organised crime and that they shot him dead and dismembered him with power tools.

They then separated his remains before wrapping different sections in plastic and dumping them at several locations to frustrate the Garda.

However, painstaking searching over the 11-day period since his torso was found in a suitcase in the Grand Canal in Co Kildare, coupled with information supplied by the public, has uncovered the various body parts.

Some of them were in bags weighed down with bricks and pieces of steel.

The exact motive for the murder is unclear but gardaí are trying to establish if Mr O’Brien had become involved in business or financial dealings with members of a west Dublin organised crime gang.

His personal relationships were also being studied.

A mechanic and JCB driver, he was from Ballyfermot in west Dublin but had been living with his partner and child on Lealand Road, Clondalkin, west Dublin, since his return from Australia last month.

He had travelled to Australia to work while his partner and child remained in Dublin.

Mr O’Brien’s torso was found last Saturday week in a suitcase pulled from the canal by passersby.

Further body parts were found over last weekend and on Monday in the Grand Canal near Sallins, Co Kildare. And parts of a power tool were recovered some distance away at the Royal Canal near Carton House, Maynooth, Co Kildare.

The Garda investigation was from the outset working on the theory Mr O’Brien was killed and then his remains dismembered, apparently in an attempt to secretly dispose of them more easily. And they believed from the outset a power tool was used to dismember him.

Murdered

The investigation team believes his killing and all aspects of the disposal of his remains were pre-planned before he was lured to a meeting with people he knew and was then murdered.

Since the first body part was found, extensive searching has been carried out, including at the dead man’s home.

The friends and family of the father of one have been spoken to in an effort to establish if Mr O’Brien was involved in any conflicts, had been threatened by anybody or had felt in any way under pressure.

Last Thursday week, he told his family he was “going down the country” to work for a period.

He left his home early last Friday week and was never seen again. Gardaí believe he was killed, dismembered and his body parts separated and dumped almost immediately.

And they believe the murder scene is not far from the canal where his remains have been discovered.

Gardaí said they have ruled out any link between his killing and the discovery of ecstasy valued at €50,000 last Friday.

The drugs were found in a warehouse close to the stretch of Grand Canal in the Ardclough area where Mr O’Brien’s torso was found.

The warehouse remains the focus of searching as part of an extended examination of land and premises near the canal, as gardaí continue their murder investigation.