Gardaí are checking death certificates in a bid to identify a woman whose remains were found during construction of a greenway in Co Cork.
Investigators have established from carbon dating results the skull, discovered in January 2021, belonged to a woman who died between 1985 and 1987.
Gardaí are now liaising with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages and have begun checking death certificates to see if anyone who died in those years match the description of the deceased woman, according to a Garda source.
The development comes after gardaí released a sketch of the deceased that was prepared by a United States forensic specialist in facial reconstruction.
READ MORE
Prof Michelle Vitali is a director of the Institute of Forensic Sciences at Pennsylvania Western University and has worked in the reconstruction of humans from antiquity using 3D facial reconstruction technology.
Gardaí believe the woman was 70 years or older when she died, that she was 5ft 2in tall and had a large frame. They believe she wore dentures made in the 1960s while she also suffered from arthritis.
DNA taken from the skull did not match with any samples in the Garda DNA database that would identify the remains.
Gardaí recovered a slip, tights, nightdress and size 2 brown leather shoes at the scene, which they believe the woman was wearing. They hope images of these may help someone identify the woman.
The woman’s remains were discovered by a man working with a JCB who was clearing a metre high mound of earth and rubbish for a new car park at the Shanty Bridge at Roxborough, three kilometres from Midleton town, to serve the Midleton to Youghal Greenway.
Garda forensic experts examined the scene and found a crucifix of a type that is attached to a coffin lid or placed in a deceased person’s hands. They also recovered coffin handles in the mound of earth.
The discovery of the crucifix and coffin handles led gardaí to believe the remains may belong to a woman illegally exhumed from a graveyard and dumped. The Shanty Bridge was known locally as a dumping ground.
Gardaí have already spoken to local undertakers to see if they are aware of any family dispute that might lead someone to exhume a body from a grave.
