Gardaí confirm Limerick farmhouse fatality Thomas Ruttle

Gardaí have confirmed the body of a man found at a farmhouse in Co Limerick earlier this week is that of Thomas Ruttle.

The badly decomposed body of the 56 year-old was discovered alongside that of 63-year-old Julia Holmes in an upstairs bedroom at his home at Boolaglass, near Askeaton in Co Limerick on Monday.

It took two days and pathological tests before the remains of Ms Holmes, a convicted fraudster, were positively identified.

Gardaí confirmed on Thursday evening that Mr Ruttle had been formally identified after DNA testing.

Detectives are investigating how the couple died and one theory is that they died in an apparent suicide pact.

A liquid substance found in containers beside the bed where the couple lay is being examined, as part of the inquiry, to establish whether or not it contained a poison.

A post mortem carried out by State Pathologist Marie Cassidy failed to establish the cause of death and it took several days to officially confirm the identities of the bodies such was the level of decomposition.

The results of toxicology tests are expected to take a further two weeks.

A series of hand written suicide notes found in the kitchen of the farmhouse have led detectives to believe their deaths were as a result of a joint suicide pact.

‘If you find us don’t revive us’ — was one of the messages found among the 20 hand written post its and notes, many of which were signed by the dead couple.

Also found among the letters was a request that the contents of the notes be read out at the couple’s inquests.

Born Cecilia Julia McKitterick in Castleberg Co Tyrone on February 7th, 1952, Julia Holmes used over 30 different aliases and was the subject of PSNI and FBI police investigations.

It's understood the couple will have separate funerals with Thomas Ruttle likely to be buried in the family plot in the Church of Ireland cemetery in Askeaton.

While next of kin for Ms Holmes have been notified of her death nobody has of yet come forward to make arrangements for her funeral.