AUSTRALIAN police have intensified their search for a serial killer after finding the body of a missing woman, the daughter of Irish emigrants.
Ms Ciara Glennon (28), a solicitor, had disappeared outside a nightclub after a St Patrick's Day celebration in her home city of Perth.
Her body was identified yesterday by her parents, Mr Denis Glennon, from Westport, Co Mayo, and Mrs Una Glennon, from Monaghan, after it was discovered by a young man walking in remote bushland in the coastal Wawneroo suburb some 50 kilometres north of Perth.
Ms Glennon's uncle, Mr Gerry Murphy, from Waterford, last night described her murder as "the wanton destruction of a young life".
He said Ms Glennon, who had visited relatives in Ireland last February, was a "lovely funloving girl". One of two children, she had also visited Ireland three years ago with her younger sister, Denise.
"She was full of life, loved the outdoor life and was very into sports," he added.
Mr Murphy said he had not been in contact with Ms Glennon's parents, but he "imagined that they must be distraught". They had been hoping that she would be found alive, he said.
Australian police believe Ms Glennon's murder is linked to the disappearances of two other women from the same area within the past 15 months.
The body of one of these, Ms Jane Rimmer (23), was found last August. She had been strangled. The second woman, Ms Sarah Spiers, who was also in her early 20s and vanished last year, is still missing. It is understood that all three were past pupils of the Iona Presentation Convent in Perth, where Mrs Glennon had worked as a teacher.
Western Australian police have set up a task force to investigate the three cases. Hundreds of inquiries have been conducted. Some 1,800 taxi drivers were interviewed and 980 taxi vehicles examined last weekend.
Police have also profiled a range of suspects and have called in expert's in analysing violent crime.
Mr and Mrs Glennon made appeals on Australian television for information on their daughter's whereabouts which led to over 10,000 telephone calls to the police.
Det Sgt Norm Whitcock, who is leading the murder investigation, said that the police were considering the possibility that a serial killer was at large.
"At this time we haven't got any firm evidence of that and we are requesting assistance from the public to establish if anybody found anything suspicious in the area where her body was located."
A post mortem examination was last night carried out on the body of Ms Glennon, but the results were not released. Forensic officers also examined the scene where the body was found.