GARDAI in Galway city believe an intruder killed an 81 year old woman whose body was found in the backyard of her house yesterday.
Gardai say they are treating the death of Mrs Mary Morgan, from Grealishtown, Bohermore, near the city centre, as "very suspicious". She had suffered cuts and scrapes to her legs and bruising to her forehead.
She was last seen at her home on Tuesday night by a relative, according to gardai. She spoke to her niece on the telephone at about 9.20 p.m.
"From our initial investigation, we believe that an intruder gained access to the house at some stage during the night, and we are treating her death as very suspicious," said Chief Supt Tom Monaghan.
Gardai believe the intruder forced the woman outside to the backyard of her house, where the injuries are believed to have been inflicted. Although there were signs of an intruder in the house, it was not ransacked.
A neighbour called to the house yesterday morning, but got no response. At about 2 p.m. yesterday her niece called to the house and let herself in using her own key. She and the neighbour discovered Mrs Morgan's body outside the back door.
"She was in the same clothes she had worn when she was last seen," on Tuesday night.
A preliminary investigation of the body was carried out at the scene last night by a pathologist from Galway. A post mortem expected to be carried out later "Ms Morgan was widowed three years ago and lived alone. She is survived by one son. Neighbours expressed shock at her death last night, describing her as a kind and friendly woman.
In Tralee, gardai investigating, the death of 16 year old James Healy from the Shanakill estate suspect his killing may have been related to a dispute between minor drug gangs.
The youth's body was found, with head and facial injuries in an area of waste ground on the Monavalley industrial estate in Tralee shortly before 11 a.m. on Tuesday morning. He was the second oldest in a family of four children.
It is believed he died as a result of being beaten with a length of piping found close to his body.
Although described locally as a "quiet" youth, James Healy had come to the attention of the Garda on a number of occasions in relation to petty crime.
A team of officers from the murder unit of the new National Bureau of Crime Investigation was sent to the town yesterday.