FOUR MEN have been arrested in connection with the killing of Daniel McAnaspie (17), whose body was recovered from a drain in Co Meath this month.
All four men were arrested in the Blanchardstown area early yesterday and are being held for questioning at Garda stations in Finglas, Cabra and Blanchardstown.
Two of the men, who are in their mid-20s and mid-30s respectively, are being held under suspicion of murder. The other two suspects, who are both in their 20s, are being held under suspicion of withholding information.
Gardaí can question the two men suspected of murdering Daniel for up to 72 hours before they have to be released or charged.
The decomposed body of Mr McAnaspie was found by a farmer on May 13th in a drain between two fields about 200 metres off the old Dublin to Derry road at Rathfeigh, Co Meath.
A postmortem revealed he had been stabbed to death.
Daniel, who was in the care of the Health Service Executive when he was killed, was last seen on the street at Whitestown Avenue, Blanchardstown, west Dublin, on February 26th.
He was living in HSE care in a house in Donabate, north Dublin, and had gone to Finglas to meet people he knew on the afternoon of February 25th.
Investigating officers believe members of the group with whom the youth remained on with were drinking on the road at Whitestown Avenue and in a number of houses into the early hours of February 26th.
Gardaí believe Daniel became involved in a row in Whitestown with men slightly older than him and was fatally stabbed in the throat and upper body.
One of six siblings, whose father died in 1996 and whose mother died in 2007, Daniel could not read or write and had been in the care of the HSE since 2003.
A confidential HSE report into the care of Daniel, which was obtained yesterday by RTÉ, shows there were grave concerns for his safety. It says the young man was moved at least 14 times from March to December 2009.
The document warned that Daniel was becoming increasingly involved in “a dark world of drug abuse and criminality”.
The HSE knew Daniel was using drugs – smoking cannabis and taking benzodiazepines – sleeping pills and valium, which led to his behaviour becoming “increasingly erratic”.
It shows that Daniel was denied a place in a secure care unit in May of last year. Even though the decision was appealed, his case was closed by the HSE Special Care Committee, according to the report obtained by RTÉ.
The HSE has said it will investigate Daniel’s case.