The body of Leitrim farmer Liam Farrell (87) has been exhumed as part of a cold case review into the circumstances surrounding his suspicious death more than six years ago.
Members of the Garda Technical Bureau began the exhumation at 8am on Friday at Cloonmorris Cemetery, Bornacoola, Co Leitrim where the father of five was buried in January 2020.
They finished the operation just before 11am when two unmarked Garda vehicles escorted the private ambulance containing his remains to Dublin where a forensic postmortem examination will be carried out.
The farmer was found by family members at the back door of his home on January 12th, 2020 having sustained injuries that his family believe were the result of an assault.
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Chief Supt Des McTiernan told reporters in Bornacoola on Friday morning the exhumation was an attempt to progress the case forensically.
“We have been very determined to get this exhumation process underway, which we have done today. We’ve begun interviewing witnesses in the Roosky area and those people who were interviewed originally as part of the original investigation,” he said.
Chief State Pathologist Prof Linda Mulligan was present for the exhumation, which was attended by Farrell’s three sons – Willie, Peter and Brendan Farrell.
Speaking to media at the cemetery entrance, Willie Farrell said it had been “an arduous journey” to have the exhumation completed after six years.
“The next chapter is going to be revealed. We don’t have a magic ball but we’re not going to give up. We have to find out the truth about what happened our father that night,” he said.
“We’re looking for answers. With the cold case team being here today, you can tell they’re taking it seriously, they’re listening to the family. Emotions are being parked right now. We’ve got to get to the bottom of this.
“We’ve seen pictures of the injuries. We’ve had our own forensic pathologist Prof Jack Crane unequivocally say he was the subject of an assault,” he told The Irish Times.
“We would ask anyone to come forward with the smallest bit of information,” he added.
Peter Farrell said the case was not just about their father but about elderly people living in rural Ireland who “should be able to live out their years in safety”.
“We are grateful to the serious crime review team who have taken over since October and have done everything they said they would do ... My father needs justice, we need justice,” he said.
Brendan Farrell told reporters that initially after his father’s death a forensic postmortem examination was not carried out. “I think there are lessons here to be learned in future cases like this,” he said.
Chief Supt McTiernan appealed for anyone who may have been socialising in the same venues and seen Liam Farrell that night to come forward with any information and help gardaí achieve some “clarity” as to the circumstances surrounding his death.
The farmer left his home in Roosky just before 9pm on January 11th 2020 and made the ten minute walk to Reynolds’ Pub where he socialised with friends. At 10.30pm he left that pub and went next door to The Weir Lodge where he had a few drinks with a close friend.
Gardaí said at about 12.15am on January 12th Liam Farrell left The Weir Lodge and made the ten-minute walk home. At approximately 3.30pm later that day Farrell was discovered unresponsive by his son and daughter at the rear of his house. He was pronounced dead later that day.
