Gardai have established that the man whose body was found in the Comeragh Mountains near the Waterford-Tipperary border last week had been dead for between six and eight months.
A murder investigation was opened after the badly decomposed body was discovered in a disused quarry in woodland at Clondonnell, about five miles from Rathgormack, Co Waterford. The body was that of a man aged between 25 and 35.
Supt John Howard of Tramore, who is leading the investigation, issued a renewed appeal yesterday for anyone who was in the area during the past eight months and noticed any suspicious activity to contact the Garda.
The appeal was being widened because gardai had initially sought assistance from people who had been in the area in the past fortnight, he said.
Confirmation that the man had been dead for up to eight months has led to increased speculation that the body may be that of Mr Martin Nolan (34), from Tramore, missing since November.
His disappearance coincided with the discovery of a bloodstained scene in woodland near Waterford Regional Airport, about 30 miles from where the body was found last week. Forensic tests established that the blood was that of Mr Nolan, who had been due to appear at Waterford Circuit Court to face a charge of possessing for sale several thousand pounds worth of cannabis and ecstasy.
Supt Howard said that while Mr Nolan was "obviously uppermost in our minds", gardai were also pursuing other avenues. It could take several weeks before there was a positive identification.
