Galway coroner Dr Ciaran McLoughlin has expressed “deepest sympathy” to the parents and friends of Manuela Riedo and to the people of Switzerland for the teenager’s “violent and tragic” death in the city in October, 2007.
“This is one of the worst tragedies that has happened in Galway.It will take us some time, if ever, to get over this,“Dr McLoughlin, west Galway coroner, said at the inquest yesterday (fri) into Ms Riedo’s loss of life.
During the inquest at Galway courthouse, the jury heard written depositions, read on behalf of Ms Riedo’s fellow student, Azaria Maurer, and Kimberley Kremer-Bertschy, one of the two college lecturers who escorted the group of 43 Swiss students to the west of Ireland in October, 2007.
Depositions were also given by Mr Martin Tierney, of Ms Riedo’s host family in Renmore, and by Sam Beardon, the artist who found her body on the morning of October 9th, 2007 and alerted An Garda Siochána.
Mr Tierney confirmed that Ms Riedo had shown him maps of the city and he had advised her not to use the shortcut along the railway, known as the military walk or “the Line”, between Ceannt Station in the city centre and the military church at Renmore.
Ms Maurer had arranged to meet Ms Riedo in the King’s Head pub on the evening of October 8th after their first day in language class. She had sent her a text just before 9pm which read “Where are you - are you not coming to the King’s Head?” in Swiss-German.
On the morning of October 9th she had noticed that Ms Riedo was not in class, and had tried to phone her, but received a tone stating that the phone was not in use. Ms Riedo had been “in good spirits, she was happy, she was enjoying her stay”, Ms Maurer said.
Ms Kremer-Bertschy said that Ms Riedo was a bright and polite student who “never had a problem making new friends”.
Det Sgt Brendan Carroll of Galway Garda station described the investigation into Ms Riedo’s death.
A mobile phone traffic and cell site analysis had assisted in the investigation, along with forensic evidence gathered at the scene.
Even if a sim card was removed from a mobile phone, it was still possible to identify if it had been used and where, Det Sgt Carroll told the coroner.
On March 21st last, Mr Justice Barry White sentenced Gerald Barry (29) to life imprisonment for the murder of Ms Riedo. He also received two five-year sentences for guilty of stealing Ms Riedo’s camera and a mobile phone.
State pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy gave medical evidence which indicated that Ms Riedo had died not long after she had left her host home to walk into the city to meet friends.
Death was due to asphyxia caused by neck compression, and there was no indication that she had struggled or that she had been restrained, Prof Cassidy said.
It was possible that Ms Riedo had lost consciousness. During questions, Prof Cassidy confirmed that there was a “sexual connotation” to her death.
The jury returned a verdict of unlawful death due to asphyxia caused by manual strangulation, and recommended that “no student should walk the Line alone at any time”. The inquest heard that the route had been cleared and fitted with public lighting since Ms Riedo’s death.
Ms Riedo’s parents, Hans Peter and Arlette, did not attend the hearing.