Death of person in wood suspicious, say gardai

Gardai are treating as "highly suspicious" the death of a person whose body was found in the Comeragh Mountains, near the Waterford-Tipperary border, on Wednesday night.

A murder investigation is likely to be opened today following the results of a post-mortem examination which was to be carried out last night at Waterford Regional Hospital.

The badly decomposed body was found in woodland near a popular walking trail at Clondonnell, about five miles from the Waterford village of Rathgormack.

The discovery was made at about 10 p.m. by a man out walking. A preliminary examination was carried out at the scene yesterday by the deputy State pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, but the person's sex had not been established prior to the full post-mortem. Members of the Garda Technical Bureau also travelled from Dublin to inspect the scene.

Supt John Howard of Tramore said gardai were checking their missing persons lists, but it was not possible to link the discovery with any particular case. "We're appealing to people out there who might be aware of somebody who should have turned up before now, and who might have concerns about their safety, to contact us."

The body was only partially clothed but it was not clear whether this was significant. Gardai were also unable to say how long the body had been there, but the person is thought to have been dead for at least 10 days. Supt Howard said he could not comment on reports that the body had been set alight.

The discovery was made in a scenic area about two miles off the Rathgormack-Clonmel road. Anyone with information is asked to contact Tramore Garda Station at 051-381333.