GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING the murder of a father and son in Co Kerry are exploring the possibility that the men may have been killed by someone who knew them after it emerged that there was no sign of forced entry to their isolated farm bungalow.
Gardaí yesterday launched a full murder inquiry into the deaths of Michael Hanrahan (60) and his son, Denis (27) after postmortem examinations by assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster, confirmed that both men suffered a number of gunshot wounds.
The Irish Timesunderstands that Denis Hanrahan suffered a massive gunshot wound to the thigh while his father was shot in the chest.
Gardaí found blood in Denis Hanrahan's bed leading them to believe that he was in bed and possibly asleep when he was first shot through the door of his bedroom and they believed that as he struggled to get up, the gunman entered the room and shot him again.
It is understood that gardaí believe that Michael Hanrahan was woken by the sound of gunfire and made his way from his room to his son's room only to be fatally wounded him in the chest.
Both men died in the same bedroom and it is understood that gardaí found between eight and 10 spent cartridge shells on the floor of the room which tallies with the post mortem findings by Dr Bolster that both men suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
Garda spokesman, Supt Kevin Donohoe, yesterday confirmed that gardaí had recovered a shotgun at about 1pm yesterday at another location in the house.
The weapon has been sent for ballistics testing.Gardaí had to await the results of the ballistics examination to conform that it was the Hanrahan's own gun. But they have to await further rests to see if had been the weapon used to kill the father and son.
If it proves to be the weapon used by the killer, gardaí will be hoping to obtain fingerprint evidence which would help them identify the culprit but officers were continuing to search nearby fields in the event that another weapon was used and dumped.
Supt Donohoe admitted that gardaí had not discounted robbery as a possible motive for the double killing but said that there didn't appear to be any obvious sign of forced entry to the house which is located at the end of a cul-de-sac over a mile from Moyvane village.
Gardaí are trying to establish whether the Hanrahans were security conscious and locked their doors at night or whether the killer may have been familiar with their precautions and was able to gain entry to the house without waking them.
Supt Donohoe said gardaí were not issuing a warning to the people of Moyvane and North Kerry about taking extra safety precautions.
Supt Donohoe was reluctant to be drawn on a precise time of the shootings saying that gardai believed they happened sometime between late on Wednesday when the two men were last seen alive and 9.10am on Thursday when their bodies were discovered.
However The Irish Timesunderstands that as both victims were dressed in their night attire and that the lights were on in the house, gardaí believe the killings happened before dawn.Supt Donohoe said that upwards of 70 gardaí including members of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation and some 12 members of the Garda Technical Bureau from Dublin were involved in the investigation.
Gardaí have spoken to a number of people about the killing and are following several lines of inquiry but no arrests are imminent, said Supt Donohoe. He appealed to the public for assistance in helping to catch whoever was responsible for the double murder.